Low Voter Registration Casts Doubt on Haiti's Planned December Elections
Fewer than 600,000 voters have registered nearly two months into a process ending Oct. 13, according to The Haitian Times.
PORT-DE-PAIX — Haiti's voter registration drive is moving far more slowly than the Provisional Electoral Council's (CEP) own targets, raising questions about participation in elections scheduled for Dec. 13 and Feb. 21, 2027, The Haitian Times reported Sept. 10.
Nearly two months after registration began July 20, fewer than 600,000 people had registered nationwide, according to the CEP's latest figures — roughly 7% of Haiti's estimated 7.7 million people aged 18 and older. The council has said it hopes to register between 3 million and 4 million voters, about 35% to 50% of the voting-age population, during the 86-day period ending Oct. 13.
None of Haiti's 10 departments has registered 15% of its estimated voting-age population. Artibonite and the North, among the largest portions of the electorate, were around 5% each, the outlet reported.
By early September, the CEP said 1,293 of 1,418 planned registration centers were operational, with nearly 2,800 operators assigned. On Sept. 1 it opened a center at SONAPI to serve Cité-Soleil residents. The council underwent a leadership change Sept. 8, with Peterson Pierre-Louis replacing Jacques Desrosiers as president.
Haiti has not held a national election since 2016 amid gang violence and a humanitarian crisis. The CEP says the dates depend on securing an acceptable security environment and funding.