Haiti Opens Voter Registration in Port-au-Prince Amid Escalating Gang Violence

Voter registration opened Thursday across Haiti’s capital and surrounding regions as the government pursues its first general elections in over a decade, though pervasive gang activity threatens to undermine the process. Ten registration centers began accepting applications in Port-au-Prince neighborhoods deemed relatively secure, drawing small but steady crowds of citizens eager to participate in the electoral process.

Haiti has lacked a sitting president since Jovenel Moïse’s assassination in July 2021, and the unelected prime minister faces mounting pressure to hold elections by December 13. Construction worker Vadley Bernadel, 34, expressed hope that the electoral process would bring leadership capable of addressing the nation’s cascading crises.

Gang-related violence has displaced more than 1.4 million Haitians and granted armed groups control of approximately 70 percent of Port-au-Prince and major thoroughfares connecting to the Central and Artibonite provinces. Since more than half of Haiti’s eligible voters reside in these three regions, analysts question whether registration and voting can proceed safely under current conditions.

Diego Da Rin, a researcher with the International Crisis Group, cautioned that holding elections on the scheduled date would exclude substantial portions of the electorate unable to reach polling sites. He noted that despite police and United Nations-backed operations reclaiming territory near the National Palace, gangs retain dominion over expansive areas where elections cannot be organized.

Jacques Desrosiers, head of Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council, announced plans to establish 20 additional registration centers in Pétion-Ville, one of the safer communities, with further expansion depending on government approval. Security concerns have deterred many citizens from participating, with some questioning whether elections can occur before gangs are effectively neutralized.

United Nations data revealed 5,900 deaths across Haiti last year and 1,600 killings from January through March 2024. Sexual violence surged as well, with 5,500 gender-based violent incidents documented in the first half of 2024, predominantly involving rape.

Concerns extend beyond voter safety to include the lack of public awareness regarding a concurrent constitutional referendum scheduled for election day. Da Rin warned that powerful political elites have historically weaponized gangs to intimidate voters, manipulate electoral outcomes, and destroy ballot boxes when their preferred candidates faced defeat.

Tap-tap driver Victor Valensky, 38, registered Thursday but acknowledged his reluctance to venture out on election day given the risks. His hesitation reflects broader anxieties among Haitians weighing their civic duty against personal safety and family security.