South Sudan has rescheduled its long-awaited general elections to February 11, 2027, pushing back the voting date by approximately two months from the previously set schedule of December 22, 2026. The announcement came on Saturday when the National Elections Commission released a revised electoral timetable, marking another shift in the country's ongoing transition toward democratic governance.
The updated timetable adjusts the entire schedule of electoral preparations, encompassing nationwide voter registration, candidate nominations, public campaign periods, and legal dispute resolutions. Although the commission made the decision to alter the polling date, the published document did not state the specific reasons behind the delay.
Under the revised calendar, nationwide voter registration is set to take place from November 14 to November 28 across the country, with the provisional voter register scheduled for publication on November 29. Voters will have a seven-day window from November 30 to December 6 to submit objections regarding the provisional register. Returning officers will review these objections and make necessary corrections between December 7 and December 13. Additional appeals and court proceedings related to voter records will extend through January 1, 2027, followed by the submission of the amended register from January 2 to January 8 and the publication of the final voter register on January 9.
The candidate nomination process will formally begin on November 29 with the issuance of nomination signature forms. Aspiring candidates are required to submit their nominations between December 14 and December 20, leading to the official publication of nominated candidates on December 21. Objections, corrections, and legal appeals concerning candidate nominations will be processed through January 17, after which the final list of verified candidates will be published from January 18 to January 21.
Following the vote on February 11, 2027, the commission plans to declare the final election results on February 15 and publish them on February 16. Additionally, the revised schedule reserves a 148-day period, running from February 17 to July 15, to handle and resolve any legal election disputes.
Preparations for the voter registration drive are already underway. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, South Sudan National Elections Commission Chairman Gabriel Bol Deng stated that registration will be conducted across 3,161 polling centres located in the country's 10 states and three administrative areas. Deng confirmed that 22,127 personnel have been recruited and trained to manage the registration process.
Deng also confirmed that electoral materials and equipment have arrived in the capitals of the states and administrative areas, with a logistical plan established to distribute these items to individual polling centres within two days. Encouraging all eligible citizens to register, Deng explained that applicants must present a national ID card, passport, or other official identification to verify their age and identity. Citizens lacking official documents can still register by using special identification forms completed with the assistance of traditional leaders.
