South Sudan’s National Elections Commission (NEC) has stepped up preparations for the country’s first post-independence general elections, bringing electoral officials from all 10 states and three administrative areas to Juba for training on voter registration procedures.
The two-day training, which began Wednesday, is intended to prepare officials to roll out voter registration in their respective jurisdictions once they return from the capital, NEC Chairperson Prof. Abednego Akok Kacuol said.
“They are called here to train about voter registration for two days. After training, they’ll go back to their states and then embark on voter registration immediately,” Akok said.
The exercise represents a significant shift from planning to implementation as the NEC works toward the December 22, 2026 elections, which have been repeatedly delayed since independence in 2011. The Commission formally set December 22 as polling day in June, covering the country’s 10 states and three administrative areas.
Under the arrangement, officials trained in Juba are expected to transfer the knowledge and procedures to electoral personnel at state and local levels. The approach is intended to create a chain of trained personnel capable of conducting voter registration across the country.
The NEC has declared 102 geographical constituencies for the December polls, using the constituency boundaries from the 2010 general elections following political decisions to postpone a national population census until after the elections.
The voter-registration exercise will therefore be one of the most important operational tests facing the Commission, particularly given the size of the country, difficult road networks and security and logistical challenges in several areas.
The Commission has also been conducting civic and voter education activities as part of preparations to familiarize citizens with the electoral process ahead of registration and polling.
The latest training comes as the government and electoral institutions intensify preparations for the December vote.
President Salva Kiir has directed the NEC to accelerate preparations and has pledged government resources and logistical support for the elections.
The elections are expected to be a major political milestone for South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011 but has never conducted a general election in the post-independence period.
The polls have been repeatedly postponed amid conflict, political disagreements and delays in implementing key provisions of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
Earlier this year, amendments to the peace agreement removed or deferred some pre-election requirements, including the conduct of a national population census and completion of the permanent constitution-making process before the elections. The changes were presented by the government as measures intended to clear the way for the December polls.
Despite the acceleration in electoral preparations, questions remain over whether the NEC has sufficient resources and whether the security environment will allow voter registration and voting to take place nationwide.
Election-related institutions have previously warned that funding shortages and insecurity could threaten preparations for the December polls. The Political Parties Council and the National Constitutional Review Commission raised concerns in July about inadequate and delayed funding for electoral and related processes.
Opposition groups have also questioned whether the elections can be considered credible while some provisions of the peace agreement remain incomplete, particularly security-sector reforms and the unification of government and opposition forces.
These concerns place additional importance on the voter-registration process. A credible voters’ register will be essential for determining who is eligible to participate and for establishing public confidence in the electoral process.
For the NEC, the deployment of trained personnel to the states and administrative areas will test its ability to translate national-level planning into an effective nationwide operation.
The Commission will have to ensure that eligible citizens can access registration centres, that electoral officials apply procedures consistently, and that registration takes place without discrimination or political interference.
The process will also require coordination among the NEC, state authorities, political parties, civil society organizations, security agencies and communities.
With the December 22 deadline approaching, the successful completion of voter registration could become one of the clearest indicators of whether South Sudan is genuinely on course for its long-awaited elections.
For millions of South Sudanese, the registration exercise will be more than an administrative process. It will be the first practical step toward exercising the right to choose national and local leaders through the ballot box.
The NEC now faces the challenge of turning its preparations into a nationwide electoral operation capable of delivering a peaceful, inclusive and credible vote on December 22.