(JUBA) – South Sudan’s National Elections Commission has denied social media reports claiming that voter registration is under way. The commission says no voter has been registered anywhere in the country.
In a statement issued in September 2026, commission spokesperson George Lemi Stans said posts circulating online contain false figures of registered voters. The posts claimed 890,457 registered voters in Bahr El Ghazal, 71,908 in Equatoria and 55,723 in Upper Nile. The commission said these numbers were not produced by the commission and do not match any registration activity.
The commission said there is no electoral register yet and therefore no figures of registered voters exist for any state or administrative area. It said there is no leaked registration data because no registration data exists.
Under the commission’s procedures, the registration period and the locations of registration centres are announced by public notice. That notice has not been issued. When it is issued, it will be published on the commission’s website, its social media pages and in national newspapers.
Commission in Preparatory Phase
The commission said it is in the preparatory phase of registration. On 2nd and 3rd September 2026, it trained electoral officials from the ten states and the three administrative areas in Juba. The training covered voter registration procedures under a programme adopted on 29th August 2026.
The programme covers the elections legal framework, the registration forms and how they are completed, voter and civic education for registration, and the management of equipment and data during registration. These officials will return to their states and areas to train local registration staff before the exercise begins.
The State High Elections Committees are almost done assessing the voter registration centres to be used. They have also launched the civic and voter education campaign in nine states.
Registration Method Applies Nationwide
On 2nd September 2026, commission Chairperson Professor Abednego Akok Kacuol announced that voter registration will be conducted manually, in person and on paper across the whole country. Data will then be entered into the commission’s computer systems. Original registration books will be preserved in state offices as a permanent record.
The commission said this method reflects literacy levels in the population as a whole. It is intended to make registration accessible to every community in every part of the country. The commission said it is not a decision about any one region. It said it has made no statement about the Bahr El Ghazal region.
Voter registration in South Sudan is organised through the ten states and the three administrative areas, each with its own State High Elections Committee. The commission said it does not organise, count or report registration by regions.
No Registration Statistics Released
The commission said Secretary-General Gabriel Bol Deng and other officials have not released any registration statistics because none exist. It said any quotation attributed to a commission official that confirms numbers of registered voters is not authentic and should be disregarded.
Every South Sudanese citizen who will be eighteen years of age or older on polling day, 22nd December 2026, will be entitled to register at a registration centre once registration opens. They must produce the identification provided for in the commission’s procedures.
The Chairperson reminded electoral officials that the eligibility rules are to be applied exactly as written. The commission will announce the dates, the centres and the documents to bring in good time through its official channels.
Guidance to the Public and Media
The commission urged the public and media to rely only on its official channels. These include its website, its verified social media pages on Facebook, the State High Elections Committees and the commission’s spokesperson.
It urged the public not to share unverified figures or leaked documents about voter registration. It said registration has not begun and no such documents exist.
Media houses are requested to verify any claim about the electoral process with the commission’s spokesperson before publication. Members of the public who encounter false information about the elections may report it to the nearest State High Elections Committee office or to the commission.
The commission said it remains committed to a peaceful, free, fair, credible and inclusive general election on 22nd December 2026. It also pledged to keep the public accurately informed at every stage of the process.
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