At a glance
- Polling day22 December 2026
- Elections run byNational Elections Commission (NEC)
- Parties regulated byPolitical Parties Council (PPC)
- Framework2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS)
- Transitional period ends22 February 2027 - inauguration of the first elected constitutional government
- Historic significanceFirst general election since independence in 2011
Why these are the first elections since independence
South Sudan became an independent state on 9 July 2011 after a referendum. The transitional constitution originally called for national elections by 9 July 2015, but war, humanitarian crisis and the long negotiations that produced the Revitalised Agreement pushed elections back five times - to 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024, and now to 22 December 2026.
Under the Revitalised Agreement, these elections are the exit from the transitional government. The elected president, parliament and state leaders are expected to be inaugurated by 22 February 2027.
What you will vote on
Voters will cast ballots in several contests on the same day:
- President of the RepublicThe head of state and government. Incumbent President Salva Kiir Mayardit (SPLM) is standing.
- National Legislative AssemblyThe lower chamber of Parliament. 550 seats; 276 are needed for a majority. Members represent 102 geographical constituencies plus seats reserved for women, youth and people with disabilities.
- Council of StatesThe upper chamber. 100 seats; 51 are needed for a majority. Each state and administrative area returns a defined number of representatives.
- State GovernorsOne governor for each of the 10 states (the three administrative areas have their own chief administrators).
- State Legislative AssembliesState-level parliaments that pass state laws and oversee county authorities.
How constituencies work
For the National Legislative Assembly, the NEC has gazetted 102 geographical constituencies, distributed across the 10 states and 3 administrative areas:
| State / Admin Area | Seats |
|---|---|
| Central Equatoria | 14 |
| Eastern Equatoria | 11 |
| Western Equatoria | 8 |
| Jonglei (incl. Greater Pibor Admin Area) | 17 |
| Unity (incl. Ruweng Admin Area) | 7 |
| Upper Nile | 12 |
| Lakes | 8 |
| Northern Bahr el Ghazal | 9 |
| Western Bahr el Ghazal | 4 |
| Warrap (incl. Abyei Admin Area) | 12 |
| Total | 102 |
In addition to the 102 geographical seats, the law reserves further seats for women (not less than 35% overall), youth, and people with disabilities, through a combination of party lists and reserved quotas.
The roadmap to polling day
A number of pre-election tasks have to be delivered on time for the vote to hold on 22 December 2026:
- Political party registration - handled by the Political Parties Council. Mostly complete.
- Candidate nomination - handled by the National Elections Commission, once nomination windows open.
- Nationwide voter registration - every eligible citizen must register before they can vote. The NEC has publicly estimated the exercise should take around one month; as of late 2026 it had not yet started.
- Dissolution of the transitional government - President Kiir dissolved the transitional government ahead of the vote.
- Campaign period - formal campaigning opens and closes on dates fixed by NEC regulations, with a silence period before polling day.
- Polling day - 22 December 2026.
- Results, dispute resolution, and inauguration - culminating in a first elected constitutional government by 22 February 2027.
What observers are watching
- Whether voter registration starts in time and reaches displaced populations and conflict-affected areas.
- Security for voters, candidates and officials, especially in Upper Nile, Unity and Warrap.
- Election financing - the NEC budget and donor contributions.
- Freedom of the press and equal media access for parties, which the Campaign Media Compliance Committee is tasked with policing.
- Legal reforms, including the permanent constitution-making process that was meant to run in parallel.
Where this information comes from
This primer summarises public reporting on the 2026 South Sudanese general election, including the Wikipedia article, coverage by Radio Tamazuj and the Sudan Times, the IFES Election Guide, and the text of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.
Where this page differs from an NEC or PPC notice, the official notice is authoritative. We update this page as new NEC decisions, PPC publications and R-ARCSS implementation steps are made public.