JUBA – The South Sudan National Elections Commission (NEC) on Tuesday unveiled the voter registration book to be used in registering eligible voters ahead of the country’s planned general elections on December 22, 2026.
Speaking to journalists at a briefing in Juba on Tuesday, Gabriel Bol Deng, newly appointed Chairperson of the National Elections Commission, said the registration book will contain voter information and registration cards that will be issued to citizens after completing the registration process.
“So the registration book has particulars. Number one, we have 10 states and three administrative areas. So each state will have a definite number that will be assigned to them,” Deng said.
Deng explained that each registration book will carry a serial number, while individual registration cards will also have unique serial numbers to help identify registered voters.
He said the book contains the names and numerical codes of South Sudan’s 10 states and three administrative areas.
Deng said to include details such as the county, geographical area, registration center, and other information required during the registration process.
He said the NEC logo and the words “Republic of South Sudan” will also appear on the registration materials to authenticate them as official election documents.
“We have our logo. So this is the symbol of the National Election Commission. And then this is your card, and the card is within the registration book. So now, the Republic of South Sudan, and then you have the states, and you have the counties; they must have the numbers.”
The head of the commission said registered voters will be given registration cards, which they will be required to keep safely and present on election day for verification.
The NEC chair said printing of the registration books is expected to begin this week following approval of the registration materials.
He said it will not wait until all registration books are printed before beginning distribution.
“So we have already approved. This week we will print it. So we’ll put it into printing even tomorrow,” Deng said.
“We will put it into printing, and then when there are enough voters and when there are enough registration books, we will not wait for all of them.”
Deng said it has already assessed and identified voter registration centers across the 10 states and three administrative areas.
“We at least need a chunk of them so that we start distributing to the voter center. We have already done an assessment of the registration center.”
The NEC head said the official date for the start of voter registration will be announced after registration materials have been distributed to the centers.
The Commission also disclosed that it has so far received $25 million from the government to support the electoral process.
“So far, a good thing I was there, the accounting officer. So what we have received from the government so far is $25 million,” he said.
“The government has a commitment to release more funding in the next few days so that we start our registration.”
“The conviction with the Ministry of Finance—we have been assured that they will release more money for the electoral process. So that was a good question,” he said.
He said the additional resources are needed to facilitate the printing and distribution of registration materials and other electoral activities.
He also appealed to political parties and aspiring candidates to campaign peacefully ahead of the elections.
Officials urged politicians to present their ideas, manifestos, and visions to voters rather than resorting to violence.
The NEC chair called on political actors to “convert their political ideas into ballot papers and not bullets,” stressing the importance of allowing citizens to make their choices through the electoral process.
The December 22, 2026 elections are planned as South Sudan’s first general elections since independence in 2011, following years of transitional arrangements and delays to the electoral timetable.
