Cape Verde officially begins the electoral countdown. Following a meeting of the Council of the Republic on January 19, 2026, the government has made public the schedule for the 2026 national elections, with legislative polls set for May 17, 2026, and the presidential election for November 15, 2026. A major political event for the archipelago, organized in accordance with constitutional provisions and a schedule designed to ensure voter participation.
On January 19, 2026, the government of Cape Verde officially unveiled the schedule for the 2026 national elections. In accordance with the Constitution, the President of the Republic has set the legislative elections for May 17, 2026, when voters will elect the 72 deputies of the National Assembly. This date precedes the end of the current legislature, set for May 19, by two days. The scheduling takes into account logistical constraints, religious holidays, and inter-island voter travel.
After examining all factors, including religious holidays, population mobility in April and May, as well as the May 1st festivities, we have decided to set the following dates for the elections.
Institutionally, Cape Verde applies a mixed electoral system combining proportional representation for legislative elections and a two-round majority vote for the presidential election, with both mandates set at five years. In the last legislative elections, held in April 2021, turnout was 57.43%, or 225,761 out of 392,899 registered voters. The MpD (Movement for Democracy) won 38 of the 72 seats, ahead of the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). In the October 2021 presidential election, the President of the Republic obtained 51.79% of the votes from approximately 398,690 registered voters, with a turnout of 47.99%, or 191,119 voters.
The legislative elections will be held on May 17, 2026, and the presidential election on November 15, with the possibility of a second round on November 29.
With just months until the start of the campaigns, political parties, institutions, and civil society are now preparing for these decisive events. In a country with a relatively stable democratic system, the 2026 polls will once again need to confirm Cape Verdeans’ commitment to transparent and pluralistic elections.