Election Day Guide
What to know before you go vote — step by step
Step 1: Before the Day — Find Your Voting Center
You vote at the voting center (a school or public building containing several polling stations) where your name is registered. In past elections, the CEP announced your center by SMS, on its website (cephaiti.ht), and through a call center. Your name must be on the Partial Electoral List (LEP) posted at the polling station. Verify your center in advance — do not wait for the day.
Step 2: What to Bring
One thing only: your CINU card (the Unique National Identification Card, ONI's biometric card). Old CIN cards have been invalid since October 2020, and neither passports, licenses, nor NIF cards can be used to vote. If you do not yet have a CINU, go to an ONI office — the card is free.
Step 3: At the Polling Station
Polling stations open at 6am and close at 4pm. Poll workers (MBV) check your name on the LEP and your CINU. They give you the ballots; you vote in secret behind a screen; you place the ballots in the ballot boxes; and your finger is marked with ink to prevent double voting. Party agents (mandatè) and observers may watch the process — but only poll workers handle voting materials.
Step 4: The Count and the Results
When stations close, poll workers count the votes in front of party agents and observers, then complete a tally sheet (pwosè vèbal) recording each candidate's votes. All tally sheets go to the CTV (Vote Tabulation Center) where the CEP compiles them. The CEP publishes preliminary results first, then final results after the challenge period.
Step 5: If There Are Problems — Challenges
A candidate who believes there was fraud can challenge results: first at the BCED (Departmental Electoral Disputes Office), then at the BCEN (National Electoral Disputes Office), the final instance. Nearly every crisis in Haitian electoral history began with disputed results — which is why it matters that party agents, observers, and citizens watch the count and use the legal channels.