Haiti voter registration reaches just 12.6% of target ahead of election deadline

Haiti has registered just over half a million voters since launching its voter registration drive in July, reaching only 12.6% of its four million target with just over a month remaining before the deadline.

According to figures from the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), 506,953 voters had registered nationwide as of Sept. 6, well short of the four million people authorities are seeking to enroll ahead of the country's planned elections.

Registration began July 20 and is scheduled to close Oct. 13, leaving 37 days from the date of the latest figures for the CEP to substantially increase enrollment.

The process is part of preparations for Haiti's long-awaited return to elected government after years without national elections.

The CEP currently has 2,761 operators working in the field and has established 1,418 registration centers across the country, of which 1,271 are operational.

Registration has fluctuated significantly since the process began.

After a slow start in late July, when only a few hundred applications were being recorded each day, enrollment increased in early August to between 15,000 and 20,000 daily applications.

The highest single-day total came on Aug. 17, when 24,775 people registered. Another surge occurred Aug. 25, when 23,783 applications were recorded.

However, the pace slowed considerably heading into September, falling below 3,000 registrations per day by Sept. 6.

The latest figures show a nearly even gender split among registered voters. Men account for approximately 50.8% of registrations, with 257,447 enrolled, compared with 248,769 women, or about 49.2%.

People between the ages of 39 and 48 make up the largest group, with 114,177 registrations, followed closely by those aged 29 to 38, with 110,028.

Young Haitians between 18 and 28 account for 79,811 registrations. Among older voters, 90,932 people between 49 and 58 have registered, while 44,034 people aged 69 and older have enrolled.

Registration also varies considerably across the country.

The South department leads with approximately 79,878 registered voters, followed by West 1 with 73,499 and Grand'Anse with 62,116.

Artibonite and the Center have recorded some of the lowest totals, with 36,013 and 36,958 registrations, respectively.

Enrollment remains low even when measured against the registration capacity established in individual departments.

The Southeast has recorded the highest utilization rate at just 12.92% of its configured capacity, followed by Grand'Anse at 12.36% and Nippes at 11.78%.

Artibonite stands at only 4.58%, while the North has reached 4.97%.

The sluggish registration drive adds another challenge to Haiti's efforts to organize elections amid a prolonged political and security crisis.

Haiti has not held national elections since 2016, and the country has had no elected national officials since the terms of its last remaining senators expired in January 2023.

With the Oct. 13 registration deadline approaching, the CEP would need to register millions more eligible voters to reach its stated four million target.