South Sudan has rescheduled its long-awaited general elections to February 11, 2027, extending the electoral timeline by nearly two months beyond the December 2026 deadline provided for in the law, according to a revised calendar issued by the National Elections Commission (NEC).
The extension raises questions about the commission’s compliance with the legal framework governing the electoral process, which provides for elections in December 2026.
The revised timetable, seen by Radio Tamazuj on Saturday, sets Thursday, February 11, as polling day, replacing the previously scheduled December 22, 2026, date.
Under the new calendar, manual voter registration will run from November 14 to November 28, 2026, followed by publication of the provisional voter register on November 29.
The register will be displayed for public inspection from December 6 to December 12, allowing voters to check their details and raise objections. The commission has also scheduled procedures for reviewing objections, correcting the register and hearing appeals before publication of the final voter register on January 10, 2027.
The nomination process will begin on November 29, when nomination signature forms are published. Candidates will have until December 13 to collect the required signatures, while the formal submission of nominations is scheduled for December 14 to December 20.
The commission plans to publish the list of nominated candidates on December 21, followed by a period for objections and appeals. The final list of candidates is scheduled for publication on January 18, 2027.
The 45-day election campaign period will begin on December 27 and end on February 9, two days before polling. February 10 has been designated as a campaign-free day.
According to the timetable, voting will take place on February 11, followed by counting and the announcement of results at polling centres. The commission has scheduled the processing of results at state and administrative-area levels for February 13-14, followed by processing at its headquarters on February 14-15.
The declaration of final election results is scheduled for February 15, with publication on February 16.
The timetable also provides for a 148-day election dispute resolution period, running from February 17 to July 15, 2027. Run-off elections, where required, are scheduled for April 12.
The revised calendar retains 102 National Legislative Assembly constituencies and 290 state legislative assembly constituencies, based on the constituencies used in the 2010 general elections.
The postponement marks another delay in elections in the country, which gained independence in 2011 but has yet to hold a general election since then.
What does the elections law say?
The revised timetable raises questions about its compliance with provisions of the National Elections Act, particularly the amendments enacted in 2026.
Section 36(e) of the National Elections Act 2012, as amended in 2026, states that the voter register “shall be published not later than three months prior to the holding of elections” to allow registered voters to confirm the accuracy of their entries.
The amended Act also sets a separate requirement for public inspection. Section 37(c) provides that the NEC must, within 60 days from the date of the notice for a general election, open the voter register for inspection for at least 15 days.
The 2026 amendment expressly refers to elections in December 2026. The December deadline is therefore not simply a date selected by the NEC in its electoral calendar but part of the statutory framework governing the electoral process.
Moving polling to February 11, 2027, therefore raises questions about the consistency of the revised calendar with the December 2026 requirement. Unless another applicable legal provision authorises the change, the commission’s revised polling date could face a legal challenge on the grounds that it departs from the timetable prescribed by law.
Section 16(1) requires the NEC to determine and publicly announce the election date at least six months before polling.
The original December 22, 2026, date was announced on June 22, meeting that requirement.
Article 197A(9) directs the National Elections Commission to organise elections 60 days before the end of the transitional period on 22 February 2027.
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