The 2026 Election Candidates
Where the candidate process stands, and how to evaluate candidates when the official list comes out
Current Status: No Official List Yet
Today, there is no official list of presidential candidates. Here is what we know that is verified: 320 political parties registered with the CEP, and the CEP approved 282 of them (March 2026). PHTK — the party of former presidents Martelly and Moïse — and Résistance Démocratique were not among the approved parties. Candidate registration, planned for April 13 - May 15, 2026, was postponed after the government paused the process in a dispute over the electoral decree and the CEP's budget. The CEP has not yet published new dates.
Our commitment: we will not publish any candidate names here before the CEP publishes the official validated list. The press has floated several names — including former CPT coordinators and former first lady Mirlande Manigat — but no candidacy is official yet. When the list comes out, we will update this page with verified information on each candidate.
Requirements to Become President
Under the 1987 Constitution (Article 135), a presidential candidate must: (1) be a native-born Haitian who never renounced their nationality and holds no other nationality at registration; (2) be at least 35 years old; (3) enjoy civil and political rights and never have been sentenced for a crime; (4) own real property in Haiti or practice a profession there; (5) have resided in the country for 5 years before the election; (6) have received discharge if they managed public funds.
How to Evaluate a Candidate
When the official list comes out, here are the questions to ask about each candidate: What management experience do they have? What concrete plans do they have for security, the economy, and education — and how will they pay for them? What is their record with public funds and human rights? Who is financing their campaign? Do they answer journalists' questions or only make big promises? An informed citizen does not vote for a name or a song — they vote for a plan and a record.