Haiti’s electoral council launches registration of political parties for 2026 vote

PORT-AU-PRINCE —  Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) launched the formal registration of political parties and coalitions Monday as part of preparations for general elections scheduled for Aug. 30 and Dec. 5, 2026.

Political parties and platforms have until March 12 to submit their registration files at the CEP headquarters in Pétion-Ville, in accordance with Article 143 of a Dec. 1, 2025, electoral decree. The council said it will publish the final list of approved parties and coalitions on March 26, clearing the way for the first round of voting scheduled for Aug. 30 and a second round on Dec. 5.

In a Feb. 27  statement, the CEP pledged to conduct an “inclusive, impartial, independent and transparent” process.

The registration period follows three days of meetings between the council, civil society organizations and political party representatives that ended Feb. 28. The meetings aimed at encouraging participation and clarifying procedural changes, including diaspora voting, voter registration and the use of new technology.

“There is a need to hold elections to overcome the recurring crises, and the people must be able to exercise their civic duty through voting,” said CEP President Jacques Desrosiers. He said the meetings were intended to encourage dialogue and ensure broad participation in the electoral process.

By March 2, about 10 political groups had visited the council’s offices to register or seek clarification about requirements, officials said.

Required documents

To register, parties and coalitions must submit a list of 10 documents, including notably:

• A notarized constitutive act, including statutes and objectives
  
• Official recognition documents for each party involved
  
• Minutes from the most recent general assembly naming party leadership
  
• Proof of registration from the Ministry of Justice
  
• The party’s official acronym and color logo
  
• A copy of the national identification card of the authorized representative
  
• A digital copy of the party emblem in JPEG or PNG format
  

Uncertainty still plagues the process amid insecurity

Despite the procedural momentum, major questions remain about whether the elections can be conducted safely or financed transparently.

The government has not yet published the electoral budget, leaving the cost of the process unclear. Insecurity also continues to threaten preparations.

More than 90% of the capital remains under gang control, according to international estimates. Armed groups have blocked key roads and attacked hospitals, schools and neighborhoods. More than 1.4 million people have been displaced, many without access to voter identification cards.

Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, returning from the 50th Caribbean Community (CARICOM) summit, said elections were discussed with international partners, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He expressed hope that elections could be held by the end of the year, but did not guarantee the timeline.

“We are working to address the problem of insecurity,” the prime minister said. “We hope that by the end of the year we will be able to hold free, fair and democratic elections so that the Haitian people can choose the leaders they want.”

Fils-Aimé, who became head of the transitional executive on Feb. 7 after the mandate of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) ended, has pledged to strengthen security forces with additional personnel and equipment.

International partners have urged accountability. Canadian Ambassador André François Giroux told Le Nouvelliste on Feb. 25 that the prime minister does not have a “blank check” and must assume full responsibility for expanded powers.

For now, the electoral calendar is moving forward. Whether the security conditions will allow Haitians to safely cast ballots remains the defining question.

The Haitian National Police say preparations are underway. In an interview with The Associated Press on Feb. 27, Director General André Jonas Vladimir Paraison said officers are drafting a security plan for the elections and recently deployed nearly 900 new recruits.

“We have a plan for the election, but it’s still in the kitchen and not yet finished cooking,” Paraison said, dodging the question of whether he thought Haiti would be ready to hold elections this year.

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