Haiti begins registering voters under the threat of gangs

Haiti took a step toward general elections: voter registration began Thursday, July 30 in Port-au-Prince and other areas, under strict security measures, according to the AP agency. The country has not held general elections in more than a decade and has had no president since the assassination of Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.

The first round: December 13

The government opened 10 registration centers in neighborhoods considered safe in the capital, with the first round tentatively set for December 13, 2026. More than half of the electorate lives in regions under gang siege, and it is unclear whether all potential voters will be able to register.

The context of violence

Armed gangs control roughly 70% of Port-au-Prince —a figure that once reached 90%— and the roads leading to the Central and Artibonite provinces. The violence has displaced more than 1.4 million people and caused more than 2,300 deaths in 2026, according to the UN.

The doubts

Analysts consulted by AP question what kind of elections can be held with that level of violence: “The country can organize elections in three months if it decides to. The question is what kind of elections,” said Diego Da Rin, of the International Crisis Group.

The key figure: December 13, 2026, the tentative date of the first electoral round in Haiti.