Haiti
Caribbean · ht
Republic with a directly elected two-round president and a bicameral legislature elected through constituency contests.
Profile last reviewed July 23, 2026
Haiti's constitution provides for elected national institutions, but the country has held no national election since the 2016–2017 cycle and currently has no elected national officeholders. A provisional electoral council is registering voters and administering a 2026 electoral decree while a revised election timetable is negotiated under severe security constraints.
How voting works today
- Voting age
- 18 and over
- Voter registration
- Voter-initiated
- Identification
- Photo ID required
- Compulsory voting
- No
- Postal voting
- Not available
- Early voting
- Not available
- Online voting
- Not available
- Voting from abroad
- Restricted
Operational access is changing during the 2026 registration programme. Eligibility on paper should therefore be kept separate from whether displaced people and residents of insecure areas can actually register and reach a polling place.
How the franchise changed
Every entry records a change in who could vote, or how — expansions, restrictions and procedural reforms alike.
- 1987Reform
The post-dictatorship constitution established the framework for periodic elections and an independent electoral council.
Mission of the Provisional Electoral Council - 2026Reform
A new electoral decree and amendment set the legal framework for renewed presidential, legislative and local elections.
Electoral Decree of 2 June 2026 - 2026Expansion
The electoral authority opened voter-registration operations in July, initially in nine departments outside the West.
Electoral notices and communiqués
Safeguards on the count
- Ballot type
- Paper ballots
- Post-election audit
- Ad hoc
- Election administration
- Independent commission
- Domestic observers
- Yes
- International observers
- Yes
The Provisional Electoral Council is the independent election authority. The 2026 framework anticipates polling-place records, departmental tabulation and electronic transmission, but the revised calendar and detailed operating procedures remain material to any assessment.
Worth knowing
- The electoral authority reported 320 political parties registered in preparation for the next elections.320 political parties registered with the CEP
- On 20 July 2026, CARICOM told the UN Security Council that the original August election date was no longer achievable and that a revised timetable was being discussed.Security Council briefing on Haiti
Elections in the database
- 2026Haiti 2026 General ElectionElection Watch
People
- Election officialJacques DesrosiersPresident of Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council
Sources
- Electoral Decree of 2 June 2026— Provisional Electoral Council of Haiti
- Report of the Secretary-General on Haiti— United Nations