The election campaign will start in about two months, on October 5, according to the schedule published by the Electoral Council.
The election campaign will start in about two months, on October 5th, according to the schedule published by the Electoral Council. Political organizations will have a little over two months to convince voters. To do this, besides having an attractive political offer, they will need money. However, to ensure some balance between the competitors, the electoral decree strictly regulates campaign financing.
The election dates are known, the CEP members are on the ground where they can go, and the government announces that the entire public administration is in election mode. All that’s missing is the restoration of a minimal level of security in the areas controlled by criminal groups so that the country can firmly set its course for the elections after 2016.
In the meantime, political organizations, after registering with the CEP, are sometimes teaming up to better meet the requirements of the electoral decree. In two months, they’ll officially kick off the campaign leading up to the vote. This is an activity that requires funds, and not all political groups have the same ability to find financial resources.
That’s why, ‘to ensure a fair balance among competitors, a spending cap is set for each election,’ says Article 191 of the electoral decree.
“The ceiling for each level is set as follows: for a candidate for the position of President of the Republic, two billion (2,000,000,000.00) gourdes; for a candidate for the position of senator, two hundred million (200,000,000.00) gourdes; for a candidate for the position of deputy, forty million (40,000,000.00) gourdes; for a list running for mayor, twenty million (20,000,000.00) gourdes; for a list running for the Communal Section Board of Directors, four million (4,000,000.00) gourdes; for a list running for the Communal Section Assembly, two million (2,000,000.00) gourdes,” details Article 191.1 of the decree.However, Article 182 of the document published on June 2, 2026, in Le Moniteur specifies that “the campaign expenses of political parties, groups, and coalitions of political parties are reimbursed by the State in accordance with Articles 281 and 281-1 of the Constitution. This reimbursement is made based on recommendations from the CEP, which are formulated according to their electoral performance and other administrative criteria established by the MEF.”
The reimbursement of campaign expenses for political organizations is subject to compliance with the spending limits authorized by this decree, notes Article 182.1 of the electoral decree.According to Article 182.2, to get a refund, political organizations have to: have a bank account used only for the campaign; stick to spending limits; make transactions that can be tracked through bank channels; have their campaign account audited by a certified accountant; and submit a financial report to the MEF and the CSCCA, as per this decree.Political organizations can look for private funding. However, this funding is regulated by the electoral decree. According to Article 183 of the document, ‘no donation, in any form, made to a candidate, a political party, or a group or coalition of political parties by an individual or legal entity, can exceed: 1. twenty million (20,000,000.00) gourdes for a political party, group, or coalition of parties; 2. twelve million (12,000,000.00) gourdes for a presidential candidate; 3. five million (5,000,000.00) gourdes for a Senate candidate; 4. three million (3,000,000.00) gourdes for a deputy candidate; 5. one million five hundred thousand (1,500,000.00) gourdes for a municipal candidate cartel; 6. one million (1,000,000.00) gourdes for other elective positions.’“Also considered donations subject to the provisions of Article 183 are the in-kind benefits given to a candidate, a political party, a group, or a coalition of political parties. Donations are recorded and included in the campaign financial report,” states Article 183.1.
According to Article 184, the limits set out in Article 183 can be revised by an order issued in the Council of Ministers three months before the start of the election campaign, taking into account the inflation index. This article can no longer be applied since we are two months away from the elections.
“Any natural or legal person who has made a donation of at least five hundred thousand gourdes (500,000.00) to a candidate, a political party, or a group or coalition of political parties must inform the MEF and the Central Unit of Financial Intelligence (UCREF) within five (5) working days, for the purposes provided by law,” requires Article 185 of the electoral decree.
Direct or indirect financing from a state authority or a foreign natural or legal person is prohibited, according to Article 186.
Article 186.1 states that “no candidate, political party, or group or coalition of political parties shall receive funding, either in kind or in cash, from illicit or criminal activities.”Article 187 states that any candidate, political party, or group/alliance of political parties must submit to the MEF and UCREF, on the first of each month, starting from their registration with the CEP, a detailed and complete list of all donations and donors, under penalty of being banned from participating in elections. And according to Article 189, any cash donation to a candidate or political organization of two hundred fifty thousand (250,000.00) gourdes or more must be made by check or bank transfer.”Thirty (30) days after the announcement of the final results, any legal representative of any political party, coalition or group of political parties, and any independent candidate must send to the CSCCA, the MEF, the UCREF, and the ULCC, the detailed and complete list of all donations and donors, as well as the campaign financial report duly signed by a certified accountant; this, in accordance with the provisions of this Decree,” demands Article 190.Anyone who violates Articles 185, 186, and 186.1, according to Article 192, “faces the following penalties: 1. if it’s a candidate, they: lose the right to vote for a period of ten (10) years; cannot run for an elective office for a period of ten (10) years; 2. if it’s an elected official, the BCEN declares their election invalid; 3. if it’s a political party, association, or coalition of political parties, they cannot present candidates for an elective office for a period of ten (10) years.”
According to the election schedule, candidate registration will take place from August 20 to October 2, 2026. Then, the campaign for the first round of the legislative and presidential elections will run from October 5 to December 12, 2026. The first round of the presidential, legislative, and popular ratification (constitutional referendum) elections is set for December 13, and the final results of this first round will be published on January 9, 2027.
