South Sudan has moved its first national elections since independence to Feb. 11, 2027, replacing a Dec. 22, 2026, polling date in a revised timetable issued by the National Elections Commission on Nov. 14. The change postpones the country’s long-awaited vote by about seven weeks.

What changed in South Sudan’s election calendar

The commission’s revised calendar sets Feb. 11 as polling day for the presidential and parliamentary elections. The vote had been scheduled for Dec. 22. The commission’s timetable did not give a reason for the change, the Associated Press reported; a commission spokesperson told Reuters the revised timing allows more room for preparations.

Those preparations include distributing voter-registration materials, establishing registration centers and organizing logistics, according to Reuters’ account of the commission’s statement. The AP reported that registration had been scheduled to begin Nov. 14 and run through Nov. 28 at 3,161 centers across South Sudan’s 10 states and three administrative areas. The new calendar also sets dates for candidate nominations and campaigning.

A first vote delayed repeatedly since independence

South Sudan became independent in 2011 and has not yet held a national election. Previous plans were postponed in 2022 and 2024, making the Feb. 11 date another milestone in a transition that has repeatedly been extended. The latest postponement comes as the country’s political and security conditions remain a concern for election observers.

The schedule change does not itself establish whether the new date will hold. The commission’s timetable is the current calendar, while the practical next steps are voter registration and the nomination and campaign periods it lists. Readers following those dates should check for further commission notices as the process unfolds.

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Sources: Associated Press; Reuters, republished by The Straits Times.