South Sudan opened voter registration and delayed the vote on the same day: its first election since independence is now 11 February
South Sudan's National Elections Commission has moved the country's first national election since independence in 2011 from 22 December to 11 February 2027. The new timetable was released on Saturday, the day voter registration opened, and gave no reason for the delay, which comes days after the UN and the African Union warned the country was not ready for a peaceful, credible vote.
Live updates
- 7.40pm AWSTLatest
The National Elections Commission's revised calendar sets polling for 11 February 2027, with campaigning from 27 December and final results on 16 February.
- Saturday, Juba time
Voter registration opens across South Sudan, running to 28 November, as the commission moves polling day from 22 December 2026 to 11 February 2027.
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Three things to know
- Polling day is now Thursday 11 February 2027, with final results due on 16 February and a dispute period running to mid-July.
- Independent South Sudan has never chosen a president or parliament at the ballot box: Salva Kiir has led it since 2011 without facing a national vote as head of the new state.
- The vote has now slipped repeatedly since the 2018 peace deal that ended the civil war, and the main opposition leader, Riek Machar, remains in detention.
South Sudan has delayed its first-ever national election again, this time by seven weeks.
The National Elections Commission released a revised electoral calendar on Saturday, 14 November, moving presidential and parliamentary polling from 22 December 2026 to 11 February 2027. A commission spokesperson said the new dates followed consultations with stakeholders. No other reason was given.
The timing is pointed: Saturday was also the first day of voter registration, which runs until 28 November.
What is the new timetable?
Voter registration runs from 14 to 28 November, with a provisional roll due on 29 November. Candidate nominations open on 14 December, campaigning runs from 27 December to 9 February, and 10 February is a day of campaign silence. Votes are cast on 11 February and counted at polling centres over two days. Final results are due on 16 February, followed by a dispute period that runs until 15 July 2027.
Why does this election matter so much?
Because the world’s youngest country has never held one. South Sudan split from Sudan in 2011, and within two and a half years it had fallen into a civil war between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those backing his deputy, Riek Machar. The fighting killed an estimated 400,000 people.
A 2018 peace agreement ended the war and set up a unity government meant to lead the country to elections. Those elections were pushed back, then pushed back again in 2024 to December 2026, and now once more.
Is the country ready?
Not by the account of the people watching most closely. This week, UN and African Union officials told the Security Council that South Sudan lacked the conditions for a peaceful and credible vote, pointing to a shortage of money, limited technical capacity, restrictions on civic space, doubts over whether the opposition will take part, and the question of how displaced people will vote.
Machar has been detained since March 2025 and is now on trial, and his release is widely seen as a condition for the opposition joining the process. Clashes between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar’s supporters have escalated in recent months, alongside continuing violence between communities.
Why should anyone outside South Sudan care?
Because a failed election could restart a war. UN officials have warned that a badly prepared vote could break the fragile peace and set off new violence, in a region already shaken by the war in neighbouring Sudan. Australia has a stake too: Australian Defence Force personnel have served with the UN mission in South Sudan since independence.
VNN will update this story as more is confirmed.
How we got here
The key moments that brought this story into focus. Open any moment for detail.
July 2011Independence
South Sudan splits from Sudan and becomes the world's newest country.
December 2013Civil war
Fighting breaks out between forces loyal to Salva Kiir and Riek Machar.
September 2018Peace deal
A revitalised peace agreement ends the war and sets a path to elections.
September 2024Second delay
Elections are pushed back two years to December 2026.
March 2025Machar detained
The opposition leader is placed under house arrest; he later goes on trial.
14 November 2026New date
The election commission moves polling to 11 February 2027 as voter registration opens.
What happens next
Voter registration closes on 28 November and the provisional roll is due the next day. Candidate nominations run from 14 to 20 December, and campaigning starts on 27 December. The test of whether 11 February holds will be whether the opposition takes part and whether the commission gets the money it needs in the next six weeks.
Sources
- VNN
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