National Elections Commission pushes December elections to February 11, 2027
The National Elections Commission (NEC) has revised the electoral timetable, setting February 11, 2027, as the new date for South Sudan’s long-awaited general elections.
According to a revised electoral calendar issued by the commission, the country will hold its general elections on Thursday, February 11, 2027, following adjustments to the timelines for voter registration, nomination of candidates, election campaigns and other electoral activities.
The revised timetable indicates that the voter registration exercise will begin on Saturday, November 14, 2026, and run for 15 days, ending on Saturday, November 28.
The commission is expected to publish the Provisional Voters Register on November 29, followed by a seven-day period for displaying the register, from November 30 to December 6.
Eligible voters will have an opportunity to raise objections against the provisional register between December 7 and December 13, 2026. The commission has also provided timelines for the consideration of objections, publication of decisions and appeals to the competent courts.
The final Voters Register is scheduled for publication on January 9, 2027, after the completion of the objection and appeals processes.
Nomination of candidates
The revised calendar places the publication of nomination signature forms on November 29, 2026. The exercise will allow prospective candidates 15 days to collect the required signatures, ending on December 13.
Submission of candidate nominations will run from December 14 to December 20, while the publication of the list of nominated candidates is scheduled for December 21 to December 27.
The period for filing objections to nominations before the NEC will run from December 28, 2026, to January 3, 2027.
The commission has allocated January 4 to January 10 for corrections or rejection of nomination applications, followed by a seven-day period, from January 11 to January 17, for Supreme Court decisions.
The final list of candidates is scheduled for publication on January 18, 2027.
Campaigns and polling day
According to the timetable, the official election campaign will begin on December 27, 2026, and run for 45 days until February 9, 2027.
The campaign period will be followed by a one-day silent period on Wednesday, February 10, ahead of polling on Thursday, February 11.
The commission has scheduled two days, February 11 and 12, for sorting, counting votes and announcing results at polling centres.
Results processing at the state and administrative-area levels is expected to take place from February 13 to February 14, while the second stage of results processing at NEC headquarters is scheduled for February 14 to February 15.
The declaration of final election results is scheduled for February 15, with their publication expected on February 16, 2027.
Election disputes and run-off voting
The revised calendar also provides 148 days for the settlement of election disputes, beginning on February 17 and ending on July 15, 2027.
It further includes a provision for run-off elections or repeat voting, with the timetable indicating April 12, 2027, as the end date for that process.
Electoral constituencies
The document maintains 102 National Legislative Assembly geographical constituencies and 290 State Legislative Assembly constituencies for the 2027 general elections.
The revised electoral calendar comes as the country prepares for its first general elections since independence in 2011, following years of political transitions and delays in implementing key provisions of the peace agreement.
South Sudan’s previous electoral timetable had placed the polls in December 2026. The newly issued schedule now moves polling to February 11, 2027.
Eye Radio will continue to follow developments surrounding the electoral process.
