Ask who governs Haiti and most people will name the president. But much of everyday life happens far from the National Palace and Parliament. In Haiti's rural communities, one of the elected institutions closest to citizens is the CASEC — a local council that many people know by name but may not fully understand. It is responsible for administering Haiti's smallest territorial entity, the section communale.
In short
The section communale is the "smallest administrative territorial entity of the Republic" (art. 62). Haiti has approximately 570 communal sections. Each is administered by a council of three (3) members elected by universal suffrage for four years (art. 63): the Conseil d'administration de la section communale, commonly known as the CASEC. It is assisted by an elected assembly, the ASEC (art. 63-1). CASEC elections are part of the February 21, 2027 phase of this electoral cycle. Uniquely among Haiti's elected territorial institutions, CASEC members must continue to reside in the section they govern during their mandate (art. 65).
The government of the smallest territory
The 1987 Constitution divides Haiti's territorial organization into three levels of territorial collectivities: the département, the commune, and the section communale (art. 62). The section communale is the smallest of these units, encompassing communities and localities that can be far from the administrative center of the commune.
Rather than leaving these communities without an elected local institution, the Constitution provides each communal section with its own council. Like the municipal council, it follows a three-member, collegial structure: three people are elected to administer the section together rather than concentrating the office in a single individual.
What the CASEC does
Within the framework established by the Constitution and the laws governing decentralization and local administration, the CASEC is an important point of contact between residents, the commune and public authorities.
Its responsibilities can include areas such as:
- Local administration — participating in the administration of the communal section and representing its interests before the commune and other public authorities.
- Community-level services and documentation — helping residents navigate certain local administrative processes and services within the responsibilities assigned by law.
- Local problem-solving and community coordination — serving as a point of contact for local concerns and helping coordinate responses to issues affecting residents.
- Local development — bringing the section's needs and priorities — such as roads, water access, markets and other community infrastructure — to the attention of the commune and other relevant authorities.
The Constitution also establishes an important responsibility for the state: it must create, in every communal section, structures for the social, economic, civic and cultural development of its population (art. 64). The communal section is therefore not simply a geographic subdivision; it has a recognized place in Haiti's constitutional system of decentralization.
The residence rule — unique on the ballot
Many elected offices have residence requirements before a candidate can run. The CASEC goes further: the Constitution requires its members to continue living in the communal section they administer.
Under article 65, a candidate must have resided in the section for the two years preceding the election and must continue to reside there during the mandate. In practical terms, the people elected to administer the section are constitutionally required to remain part of the community they serve.
That creates a distinctive form of accountability: the elected officials are not simply responsible to the people on election day. They are required to continue living among them.
How the CASEC is elected
- One race per communal section — Haiti has approximately 570 communal sections.
- You vote for a three-member slate — the electoral rules governing this cycle determine how the winning slate is selected.
- Election date: February 21, 2027 — CASEC elections are part of the local-elections phase of this cycle.
- Term: 4 years, with the possibility of reelection under the conditions established by law (art. 63).
- Eligibility (art. 65): among other conditions, a candidate must be Haitian, be at least 25 years old, enjoy their civil and political rights, and satisfy the required residence conditions.
CASEC and ASEC: what is the difference?
The two names are easy to confuse, but they describe different institutions.
- CASEC — the Conseil d'administration de la section communale — is the three-member elected council that administers the section.
- ASEC — the Assemblée de la section communale — is the elected assembly that assists and participates in the governance of the section.
The distinction matters because the CASEC is not the entire local government structure. The council and the assembly have different roles within the decentralized organization established by the Constitution.
What it changes in your daily life
If you live in a communal section, the CASEC can be one of the public institutions closest to your everyday reality. Local roads, access to water, community infrastructure, local administrative needs and other issues often begin at the community level before reaching the commune or other public authorities.
That is why this election matters. You are not simply choosing three names on a ballot. You are choosing the people who will represent and administer your communal section for the next four years — and, uniquely, they are required by the Constitution to continue living there.
Three members. One section. Four years of local responsibility. Know who is asking for your vote — and understand what the CASEC can actually do.