Haiti has set July 18, 2027 for the first round of presidential and legislative elections, extending its political transition amid gang violence. AP reported the new timetable on October 29. The electoral council published the revised calendar a day earlier, with a second round and local elections scheduled for October 4, according to Reuters.
The vote had previously been planned for December 13, 2026. Reuters reported that successive transitional leaders have delayed elections because of insecurity as armed groups expand their territory. Haiti last held elections in 2016, and President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021. AP said the country is now governed by an unelected prime minister, with the presidency still vacant.
The Provisional Electoral Council said its revised calendar follows the October 6 electoral decree and consultations with security forces, political actors, civil society, business representatives and the government. In its October 28 statement, the council said the changes should allow electoral operations to continue while participants meet their legal obligations. It reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive, credible and transparent elections.
Security efforts are also expanding. AP reported that more than 2,000 Salvadoran troops had recently arrived to help rescue four aviation technicians missing since an October 18 attack. Reuters said President Nayib Bukele and Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé discussed cooperation. The exact relationship between the new deployment and the UN-backed gang suppression force remained unclear in Reuters' reporting.
The council expects a final candidate list by mid-January and the end of voter registration on May 20, AP reported. Those milestones precede the July vote under the revised schedule. The council said it would pursue the electoral process through dialogue, respecting institutional independence, electoral integrity and every citizen's right to participate in the country's democratic life.
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