An electoral calendar is two things at once: the state's roadmap and a to-do list for every voter. The CEP's current calendar puts the first national vote on December 13, 2026, followed by a second round and territorial elections on February 21, 2027. Between those two dates come campaigning, voting, counting, preliminary results and challenges. Here is the timeline, and the few dates that actually require something from you.
In short
Two dates anchor the cycle: December 13, 2026, for the first round of the presidential and legislative elections and the popular ratification of the proposed constitutional changes; and February 21, 2027, for the second round where required and elections for territorial collectivities. For voters, the most important milestones are registration by the applicable deadline, checking the electoral list and voting centre when the lists are published, and showing up on election day, potentially on both dates. The CEP explicitly warns that the timetable depends on an acceptable security climate and the availability of the necessary financial resources.
The full timeline
All twenty-eight lines of the CEP's own table, reproduced in the order and with the numbering the Council itself uses. That order follows the electoral process rather than the calendar, so two lines sit out of chronological sequence: line 12 begins before line 11, and line 19 begins after line 20. Two labels also appear twice, once for each round — acquisition and distribution of materials (lines 12 and 19) and tabulation of the votes (lines 14 and 22). The original table also carries a day-count column; it is omitted here, and every span below has been checked against it.
| No | Milestone | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication, awareness and civic education | Feb 1, 2026 → Mar 17, 2027 |
| 2 | Departmental vote tabulation bureaux set up | Apr 14 → Nov 30, 2026 |
| 3 | Accreditation of observers and journalists | Jul 3 → Aug 18, 2026 |
| 4 | Registration of groupements and regroupements of political parties | Jul 13 → Aug 14, 2026 |
| 5 | Voter registration | Jul 20 → Oct 13, 2026 |
| 6 | Candidate registration | Aug 20 → Oct 2, 2026 |
| 7 | Recruitment of voting-centre supervisors | Aug 31 → Sep 26, 2026 |
| 8 | Recruitment of voting-bureau members | Sep 1 → Nov 21, 2026 |
| 9 | Accreditation of party mandataires | Oct 3 → Dec 4, 2026 |
| 10 | Official campaign, first round, presidential and legislative | Oct 5 → Dec 12, 2026 |
| 11 | Electoral lists published (D−30) | Nov 13, 2026 |
| 12 | Acquisition and distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive materials | Oct 18 → Dec 12, 2026 |
| 13 | First round, presidential and legislative elections + popular ratification of the proposed constitutional changes | Dec 13, 2026 |
| 14 | Tabulation of the votes | Dec 13 → 15, 2026 |
| 15 | Results of the popular ratification published | Dec 16, 2026 |
| 16 | Preliminary results, first round | Dec 19, 2026 |
| 17 | Challenges to the preliminary results | Dec 22, 2026 → Jan 9, 2027 |
| 18 | Final results, first round | Jan 9, 2027 |
| 19 | Acquisition and distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive materials | Jan 11 → Feb 20, 2027 |
| 20 | Official campaign, second round and territorial elections | Jan 10 → Feb 20, 2027 |
| 21 | Second round + territorial elections | Feb 21, 2027 |
| 22 | Tabulation of the votes | Feb 21 → 23, 2027 |
| 23 | Preliminary results, second round | Feb 22, 2027 |
| 24 | Results, territorial elections | Feb 23, 2027 |
| 25 | Challenges, second round | Feb 23 → Mar 6, 2027 |
| 26 | Challenges, territorial elections | Feb 24 → Mar 11, 2027 |
| 27 | Final results, presidential and legislative elections | Mar 7, 2027 |
| 28 | Final results, territorial elections | Mar 12, 2027 |
The dates that matter to you
- By October 13, 2026: make sure you have completed voter registration. The window runs from July 20 to October 13, 2026 (line 5), and registration requires a valid CIN. After the legal cut-off the general list is definitive and no update is possible (decree, art. 61).
- November 13, 2026: the electoral lists are scheduled to be published. Check that your name appears and verify your assigned voting centre as soon as the lists become available.
- December 13, 2026: vote in the presidential and legislative first round and in the popular ratification of the proposed constitutional changes. This is a binding ratification vote, not an opinion poll, the CEP's own wording is ratification populaire, and the decree convenes voters for it alongside the elections (decree, art. 75).
- February 21, 2027: return to vote if a national runoff concerns your race, and vote in the territorial elections taking place that day.
What happens between the two election days?
The two election dates are separated by much more than a few weeks. After the December vote, ballots are tabulated for three days, the result of the constitutional ratification is published on December 16, and the preliminary results of the presidential and legislative races follow on December 19. Candidates and political actors then have access to the legal challenge process before final results are proclaimed. Where a presidential or legislative race has not been decided in the first round, the qualifying candidates return to voters on February 21.
February 21 is also the first and only election day for the territorial races in this cycle. That means the second date combines two different things: national runoffs where necessary, and the first round of local elections.
Why the calendar can still move
The CEP's own publication includes an important condition: implementation of the timetable depends on establishing an acceptable security climate and securing the financial resources necessary to conduct the electoral operations. That caveat is part of the official calendar and should not be buried in the fine print. It appears in the Council's press note of July 27, 2026, reference CEP / DC / 028-2526, which is the document the timeline above reproduces.
The current calendar also represents a revision of an earlier timetable. The first round had previously been contemplated for August 30, 2026 before the CEP moved the national vote to December 13. The lesson for voters is simple: know the current date, but always verify it against the CEP's latest official communication.
How to read the results dates
Election day is not the same thing as final results day. Preliminary results are announced first; they can then be challenged through the electoral dispute process, for the first round, between December 22 and January 9. Final results come later, after those procedures have been completed. This is why the December 13 vote does not produce final results that same evening.
Questions people ask
What are the two dates I actually need?
December 13, 2026 for the first round of the presidential and legislative elections plus the constitutional ratification, and February 21, 2027 for the runoffs and all the local elections. See The dates that matter to you.
When will we know who won?
Preliminary first-round results on December 19, 2026, final results on January 9, 2027 after the challenge window. The ratification results come earlier, on December 16. See How to read the results dates.
Can these dates still move?
Yes. The CEP explicitly warns that the timetable depends on an acceptable security climate and on the availability of the necessary funding, and an earlier first round had already been moved. See Why the calendar can still move.
What happens between the two election days?
Tabulation, preliminary results, the challenge period, final results, and then the official campaign for the second round and the local races. See What happens between the two election days?
What it changes in your daily life
Most of this calendar is the CEP's work, not yours. Your part is simpler: register, verify your information, know where you vote, and show up on the dates that apply to your races. December 13 is the first major vote. February 21 may be your second. And if a date changes, do not rely on an old screenshot, post or message, check the CEP's latest official calendar first.