Haiti delays election campaign, extends candidate registration to Oct. 31

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) has postponed the start of the official electoral campaign and extended the deadline for candidates to register and submit required documents to Oct. 31, adding new uncertainty to an already long-delayed election process.

The CEP said in a statement that the decision followed consultations with political actors and the Monday Council of Ministers’ adoption of amendments to the June 2 Electoral Decree. The council said the additional time would allow candidates and political organizations to complete required formalities.

“This measure is intended in particular to allow candidates and the political structures concerned to have the necessary time to complete the formalities required under the legal and regulatory framework in force,” the CEP said.

PROLONGATION DE LA PÉRIODE D’INSCRIPTION EN LIGNE DES CANDIDATS ET AJUSTEMENT DE CERTAINES ÉCHÉANCES DU PROCESSUS ÉLECTORAL https://t.co/s98gKW7tTF

— CEP HAITI (@cep_haiti) October 6, 2026

The electoral governing body has not yet announced new campaign dates. It did not confirm whether Dec. 13 will still be maintained for the first round of votes, but said it is preparing a revised electoral calendar that will incorporate changes to the electoral decree and the process’ technical and operational requirements.

The development matters because Haiti has not held national elections since 2016, and the electoral process is unfolding amid persistent political disputes, organizational delays and a severe security crisis. The calendar published in July set the first round of presidential and legislative elections for Dec. 13, with a second round scheduled for Feb. 21, 2027. The CEP has not officially announced a new date for the first round, but the latest changes mean the previously published timetable is no longer being followed in full.

Campaign postponed as calendar, electoral degree remain under review

The candidate registration period had been scheduled to close Oct. 9. The CEP has now extended both online registration and the deadline for submitting required documents through Oct. 31.

The campaign period, which was scheduled to begin Oct. 5, has also been postponed. The CEP said it will announce the new start and end dates later as part of an updated calendar to be finalized in consultation with political organizations authorized to participate in the elections.