Local Government

The Three Levels of Territorial Collectivities

The 1987 Constitution (Article 61) divides the country into three territorial collectivities: communal sections, communes, and departments. Haiti has 10 departments, divided into arrondissements, divided into communes (municipalities), divided into communal sections — the smallest administrative unit (Article 62). This decentralization was one of the 1987 Constitution's great promises: bringing power closer to the people.

CASEC and ASEC — The Communal Section

Each communal section has a CASEC (Communal Section Administration Council), a 3-member council the people elect directly for 4 years (Article 63). It is the government closest to you: it handles small roads, local markets, and community problems. Alongside it, the ASEC (Communal Section Assembly) is an assembly that represents the population and oversees the CASEC's work. These are the offices on the local-election ballot.

The Mayor's Office — The Commune

Each commune has administrative and financial autonomy (Article 66). A 3-member Municipal Council leads it — the mayor and two deputies — elected by direct vote for 4 years, renewable (Articles 66, 68). The mayor's office handles civil registry, markets, waste, and local development. Since elected mayors' terms ended in 2020, government-appointed commissions have run the town halls — one reason the December 6, 2026 local elections matter so much.

The Department

The department is the largest collectivity (Article 76). A 3-member departmental council leads it, but the people do not elect it directly: the Departmental Assembly chooses it for 4 years (Article 78) — an indirect election. It is one part of the 1987 decentralization that never truly functioned in practice.

The December 6, 2026 Local Elections

Under the CEP calendar, municipal and local elections are scheduled for December 6, 2026, the same day as the national runoff. That day, you will vote for your mayor and your CASEC/ASEC — the people who decide daily on your trash, markets, and communal schools. Participating in local elections is one of the best ways to keep power accountable close to home.