Haiti's electoral calendar has two major voting dates — December 13, 2026 and February 21, 2027 — and the first question many voters ask is: why two? The answer is a system designed to give voters another choice when no candidate meets the conditions for victory in the first round. But there is an important detail: a second round is not automatic. And for the local races, the election is decided in a single round.
In short
For the national races — president, senators and deputies — a candidate can win in the first round in two ways: by obtaining the absolute majority, 50% of valid votes plus one vote, or by obtaining an advance of at least 25% over the candidate in second place, calculated according to the formula established by the electoral decree. If neither condition is met, a second round is held. For the local races — municipal councils, CASEC, ASEC and town delegates — the election is conducted in a single round using the list or cartel system. February 21, 2027 therefore combines national runoffs with the first and final round of the local elections.
Why have a second round?
Imagine a presidential election with many candidates. One candidate finishes first with 32% of the vote, while the other 68% is divided among several competitors. A single-round system would declare the candidate with 32% the winner simply because nobody received more votes.
The two-round system creates another opportunity. When no candidate satisfies the first-round victory conditions, the leading candidates face the voters again. The idea is simple: if the first round does not produce a winner under the legal threshold, the second round gives voters another opportunity to choose among the strongest remaining candidates.
The two ways to win in December
Take the presidential election. A candidate can be declared the winner in the first round in either of two ways:
- Absolute majority: the candidate obtains 50% of valid votes plus one valid vote (art. 103.1).
- 25% advance: the difference between the votes received by the first- and second-place candidates, divided by the total valid votes used for the calculation, produces a percentage of at least 25% (art. 106).
The 25% rule is easy to misunderstand. It is not simply the difference between the two candidates' displayed percentages. The decree calculates the first candidate's lead by subtracting the second candidate's valid votes from the first candidate's valid votes, then dividing that difference by the total valid votes in the relevant electoral territory.
For example, suppose Candidate A receives 47% of the valid votes and Candidate B receives 20%. The difference is 27 percentage points, so the 25% advance condition is satisfied. Candidate A can therefore win in the first round without reaching 50%.
But suppose Candidate A receives 40% and Candidate B receives 30%. The difference is only 10 percentage points. The 25% condition is not met, and if A has not reached 50% + 1 either, the race proceeds to a second round.
The same two victory conditions apply to the senatorial and deputy elections, using the appropriate electoral territory for each race: the département for senators and the electoral circonscription for deputies.
How the runoff works
For the presidential election, the candidates receiving the most valid votes advance to the second round according to the rules established by the decree. Normally, that means the two leading candidates. Special rules apply when candidates are tied for first or second place, and those candidates can result in more than two participants in the runoff (arts. 78 and 102.1).
At the second round, the candidate who receives the greatest number of valid votes is elected. If there is a tie, the candidate who received more valid votes in the first round wins.
The same basic principle applies to legislative races, with the specific rules for each type of election.
The Senate is different
A Senate race is not a one-seat contest. Each département elects three senators. That means the first round can fill some seats while leaving others to be decided later.
The electoral decree establishes specific rules for determining which candidates advance when one or more of the three seats remain unfilled. As a result, a département could finish December having elected all three senators, or it could have one or more seats decided in February.
There is another special feature of this election cycle: the three senators elected in each département receive staggered mandates of six, four and two years according to their ranking of votes. This is intended to restore the Senate's staggered renewal system after the current institutional interruption.
Local races: one round
The local elections follow a different model. The municipal council, CASEC and ASEC elections are conducted using a list or cartel system in a single round (art. 74). Town delegates are elected using the same method as ASEC members.
In these races, there is no second round. The list or cartel that obtains the greatest number of valid votes wins according to the applicable allocation rules.
This makes February 21, 2027 unusual: for some voters, it will be a second round of a national race; for others, it will be the only round of their local election; and many voters will participate in both.
Why the 25-point rule matters
The 25% rule can dramatically change what happens after the polls close. A candidate does not necessarily need to reach 50% to win in December. A sufficiently large lead over the second-place candidate can also produce a first-round victory.
That means looking only at a candidate's percentage is not enough. To understand whether a presidential, senatorial or deputy race is going to a runoff, you need to know both the candidate's total and the size of the lead over the runner-up.
What it changes in your daily life
December 13 may settle your race in one night — or it may only determine who comes back for the final decision. February 21 can therefore be a second chance to choose a national representative, the first and final chance to choose your local officials, or both at the same time.
The lesson is simple: don't treat February as an optional election day. If your national race goes to a runoff, your vote may be needed again. If your local races are being held, February is already election day. Two dates on the calendar mean that your participation may matter on both.