(JUBA / ADISABABA) – Voter registration for South Sudan’s planned December 2026 general elections is expected to begin early next week, as the National Elections Commission says preparations are advancing despite funding and logistical challenges.
NEC Chairperson Gabriel Bol Deng made the announcement after meeting African Union officials in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Tuesday to brief them on preparations for the polls.
Bol said the Commission is ready to launch voter registration across the country.
“Everything is set, we will launch it and move quickly to carry out the voter registration across the country,” Bol said.
However, he identified inadequate resources for civic and voter education, voter registration and logistics as major challenges facing the electoral process.
Bol said the South Sudanese government has already provided funding that enabled the Commission to acquire its headquarters, launch civic and voter education activities and produce voter-registration materials.
He appealed to the African Union for further support.
Meanwhile, the African Union reaffirmed its commitment to supporting South Sudan’s electoral process and said arrangements are underway to deploy election experts to the country.
AU Director for Governance and Conflict Prevention, Patience Zanelie Chiradza, said the Union wants at least one election expert based in Juba to provide continued support to the NEC.
The AU also proposed establishing an election situation room that could bring together civil society organizations, media and government institutions to monitor the electoral process and share information.
Bol also held talks with Algerian Ambassador Mohamed Khaled, who expressed Algeria’s readiness to support South Sudan’s elections and asked the NEC to submit its priority needs.
According to Bol, the NEC has already recruited 22,127 workers to help manage the polls planned for 22 December 2026.
South Sudan is scheduled to hold general elections in December 2026. If conducted as planned, they would be the country’s first general elections since independence in 2011.
SOURCE: NEC official Facebook page
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