South Sudan Election on Tuesday 22 December 2026

SOUTH SUDAN · ELECTION GUIDE

The South Sudan election is set for Tuesday 22 December 2026, the first national vote since independence in 2011. For US readers the headline is blunt, because Washington tells Americans not to travel to South Sudan for any reason.

This guide is for aid workers, diplomats, investors and journalists who may still have to go, and for readers following from home. It sets out what is fixed, what the commission has not yet announced, and which entry and safety rules apply.

What the South Sudan Election Is and Why It Matters

South Sudan became independent from Sudan on 9 July 2011 and has never held a national election. The South Sudan election has been pushed back several times, last in September 2024, when the transition was extended two years.

The National Elections Commission announced the date on Monday 22 June 2026, as the election law requires six months of notice. Its chairperson at the time, Abednego Akok Kacuol, said then that the vote would take place on 22 December.

In mid-September 2026, President Salva Kiir replaced Kacuol with Gabriel Bol Deng, the commission’s secretary general, and gave no reason. Bol Deng told reporters on Tuesday 22 September that the change would not disrupt preparations.

In late September, Kiir signed a decree dissolving the transitional government and the national and state assemblies. He stays in office until an elected president takes over, and presidential and parliamentary elections are planned.

The main opposition leader, Riek Machar, heads the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition, known as the SPLM-IO. He has been under house arrest since March 2025 and is on trial for treason and murder, charges he denies.

For US readers, the stakes are practical, because a disputed vote can close roads and delay flights. For background on the South Sudan election, read our explainer on the election’s credibility test and on the dissolved transitional government.

How Voting Works and Where Registration Stands

Citizens aged 18 or older on polling day, 22 December 2026, can register for the South Sudan election, the commission says. Registration will be done by hand, in person and on paper, with the data typed into commission systems afterwards.

On 2 September, the commission stated that no voter had been registered anywhere in South Sudan and that no register existed. Its latest news items, up to Friday 16 October, announce no start date for registration.

In late September the commission approved the official registration book and said printing would start that week. Chairperson Bol Deng said the registration date would be announced once materials reach the centres.

The government had handed over US$25 million by 22 September, according to Radio Tamazuj, and promised more. It is also hiring returning officers, who run the vote locally, and applications for 13 posts close on Wednesday 21 October.

Many South Sudanese have no national ID or passport, so the commission says a local chief can certify identity. Sudans Post reports that a July World Bank study found nearly 90% of the population lacks government-recognised identification.

Parliament has also amended the election law to cover citizens abroad and people in lawful custody, Eye Radio reported on 22 September. How and where South Sudanese in the United States could register has not been explained.

Juba and How to Get There

The South Sudan election takes place at polling sites across the country, so there is no single venue to visit. Juba, the capital on the White Nile, is where the commission, the embassies and the main airport are based.

Juba International Airport is the usual entry point. A Juba flight guide for Monday 11 August 2025 listed Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, EgyptAir, Uganda Airlines and Turkish Airlines.

Schedules change and that list is more than a year old, so confirm routes with the airline before booking. No extra flights or closures for polling week have been announced.

The US Embassy sits on Kololo Road in the Tongping area of Juba, with a main line at +211-912-105-188. Its after-hours emergency number is +211-912-105-107, according to the State Department.

American officials in South Sudan live under a strict curfew and use armored vehicles for nearly all movement. Because of serious crime in Juba, their daytime walking is limited to a small area near the embassy, Radio Tamazuj reported.

Police in Juba said on Thursday 23 April that visible deployments on main roads were routine drills for the December elections. Expect more checkpoints and patrols as polling day approaches, and read about the wider security picture in South Sudan.

Tips for US and Foreign Visitors

The State Department issued a Level 4 advisory on 17 May 2026, telling Americans not to travel to South Sudan at all. It cites unrest, crime, kidnapping, landmines and health risks, and says emergency consular help is limited.

Violent crime is common throughout South Sudan, including Juba, and armed conflict between political and ethnic groups is ongoing. Anyone who goes for the South Sudan election should tell the embassy and keep a plan for leaving at short notice.

A visa must be obtained before arrival, and border officials will not admit travelers without one. Your passport must be valid for six months beyond arrival and have two blank pages.

US passport holders pay US$160, the South Sudan Embassy in Washington says, and must send an invitation letter and two photos. The embassy page says online applications are suspended, yet the portal at evisa.gov.ss still invites them, so confirm the route first.

Proof of yellow fever vaccination is required for entry, the State Department says. The department also cites the Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in the region among its health concerns.

UK health officials counted 9,066 confirmed Ebola cases and 4,381 deaths in Congo by 11 October, plus two cases in Kenya. Their summary to 14 October lists none in South Sudan, so check health notices before flying via Nairobi.

Medical services are extremely limited, and travelers pay for their own medical evacuation, so buy cover that includes air evacuation. Money is a second problem, because the country is mostly cash-only and ATMs often fail.

The State Department adds that damaged US bills and notes printed before 2006 are not accepted. Bring clean, recent notes, keep copies of your documents, and avoid crowds around political rallies and polling sites.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

The commission has not said when registration for the South Sudan election starts, how long it lasts, or where the centres are. It says it will publish a public notice on its website, on social media and in national newspapers.

No dates for candidate nominations, the campaign period or the announcement of results have appeared in the commission’s published news. The date for swearing in a president has not been announced either.

The commission has not published its list of candidates, so it is unclear whether Machar could stand while on trial. The main opposition alliance has rejected the changes Kiir made to the government.

Whether the vote goes ahead on 22 December is not guaranteed, because it has been postponed repeatedly since independence. In June, the then chairperson named unclear laws and missing funds as the main obstacles.

No international observer mission has been announced for polling day. An African Union delegation that visited Juba on 23 and 24 April said conditions must first be created for a credible vote.

Airlines, the embassy and the commission have published no special rules for polling week, such as curfews or flight changes. Check each of them directly in the final days of December.

What Comes Next

Applications for the 13 returning officer posts close on Wednesday 21 October, and registration will be announced by public notice. Watch nec.gov.ss for that notice and for any South Sudan election timetable.

Polling day is Tuesday 22 December, three days before Christmas. If you travel for the South Sudan election, expect heavier security around Juba and book flexible tickets.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When is the South Sudan election?

The South Sudan election is set for Tuesday 22 December 2026, the first national vote since independence in 2011. The National Elections Commission announced the date on Monday 22 June 2026.

Can Americans travel to South Sudan for the vote?

The State Department rates South Sudan Level 4, Do Not Travel, and says its ability to help Americans is limited. A visa and proof of yellow fever vaccination are required, and US passports pay US$160 at the embassy in Washington.

Has voter registration started in South Sudan?

Not as of the commission’s latest news on Friday 16 October 2026, and no start date has been announced. Registration will be on paper and in person, and the commission will publish a notice before it begins.

Sources: National Elections Commission of South Sudan, Statement on False Reports about Voter Registration, 2 September 2026; National Elections Commission of South Sudan, news page (latest items to 16 October), accessed 20 October 2026; National Elections Commission, NEC invites applications for thirteen returning officers, 14 October 2026; Eye Radio, NEC announces December 22 as South Sudan’s general election date, 22 June 2026; Sudans Post, NEC unveils voter registration book ahead of December polls, 22 September 2026; Radio Tamazuj, Election commission unveils voter registration book, September 2026; Eye Radio, 2026 Election Countdown: NEC unveils voter registration book, 22 September 2026; Sudans Post, NEC turns to chiefs to verify voters without national IDs, 12 October 2026; Voice of Nigeria, South Sudan president replaces election commission chief, 16 September 2026; Radio Tamazuj, AU delegation urges election progress after South Sudan visit, 24 April 2026; Eye Radio, Police say Juba deployments are an election preparation drill, 23 April 2026; US State Department, South Sudan travel advisory, issued 17 May 2026; US State Department, South Sudan country information, accessed 20 October 2026; Radio Tamazuj, US government discourages citizens’ travel to South Sudan over Ebola, 19 May 2026; Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan in Washington, visa services, accessed 20 October 2026; South Sudan e-visa portal, Ministry of Interior, accessed 20 October 2026; UK Health Security Agency, Outbreaks under monitoring, week 41, data to 14 October 2026; Radio Yei, Daily flight guide Juba International Airport, Monday 11 August 2025, 11 August 2025; Al Jazeera, South Sudan dissolves government ahead of first-ever national elections, 23 September 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief