Ten years after the November 2016 elections, in which I attended and participated in Haiti, I recently took a new step in my civic engagement by registering as a voter in order to exercise my right to vote in the upcoming electoral deadlines. For some, this process may seem confusing or unnecessary, but for me, it represents much more than a simple administrative formality: it embodies civic responsibility and a willingness to actively contribute to the building of a stable, sustainable, and prosperous future for my country.<\/p>
On August 19, 2026, at the Registration and Voting Center of the Lycée National Horatius Laventure in Delmas 75, I undertook this initiative with conviction. Yet, upon observing the available data, I was astonished to find that many young people appear to show little enthusiasm, even a deep disinterest, for their participation in the 2026 electoral process, whether as voters or candidates. According to the Provisional Electoral Council, only 628,755 voters were registered by September 21, 2026, barely over 10% of the potential electorate. Among them, 104,252 young people aged 18 to 28 and 139,426 aged 29 to 38 registered, numbers that seem derisory given the demographic weight of youth.<\/p>
A report from UNDP published in May 2026, titled "The Silent Metamorphosis: How Youth Reimagines the Future of a Nation", reminds us that young people represent 42.8% of the total population, or more than five million people aged 15 to 39. This data raises major questions: what is delaying Haitian youth in their decision to register as voters? Have the authorities really implemented a strategic plan to provide this new generation with the necessary means to emerge on the political chessboard?<\/p>
I do not claim to give lessons or correct the strategies of the CEP, but as an engaged young citizen, manager, and sociocultural promoter, I am aware of the crucial role of youth in society, whether in the sociocultural, economic, sports, religious, or digital fields. Their ability to mobilize in sociocultural, sporting, religious activities, etc., and their omnipresence on social networks demonstrate a rich potential that could be harnessed in national political life to stimulate electoral participation.<\/p>
Indeed, the CEP has organized awareness campaigns and training sessions, but the results remain insufficient. It is urgent to create a connection between the interests of young people and political life in order to encourage their engagement, first by registering in the electoral roll, and then by actively and massively participating in the upcoming elections. This implies providing them with genuine access to public decision-making spaces and encouraging them to pursue political education to understand the functioning of institutions, their rights and duties, and thus make informed and committed choices.<\/p>
It is true that distrust in institutions, insecurity, economic difficulties, issues accessing public routes leading them to registration and voting centers, and disappointment from previous elections that did not always produce the hoped-for changes can explain this disengagement of some young people.<\/p>
However, it must also be recognized that the generation that was between 8 and 14 years old in 2016 is now of voting age, and those who were between 15 and 18 years old at that time are now adults capable of understanding and contributing to the choices that impact the future of the country. Therefore, it becomes necessary and important to encourage and inspire them to take initiatives, to come together around their concerns, and to make their voices heard, in order to strengthen the youth sector and promote their engagement in the public and political life of the country.<\/p>
In this perspective, the dynamic forces of the nation – the CEP, public institutions, the media, civil society, the private sector, universities, cultural and sports actors, community organizations, and religious sectors – must contribute to promoting civic and political education. In return, the youth of Haiti and the diaspora will be able to actively engage in strengthening democratic and political life.<\/p>
It is time for Haiti to emerge from this long period of interim that has weakened its institutions, its democratic functioning, and its image on the international stage. The country needs a return to normal institutional functioning, with legitimately elected leaders chosen by the population and based on institutions arising from the three branches of government: the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judiciary, as well as the structure of local entities.<\/p>
Ten years after the 2016 elections, we are at a crucial deadline for the youth sector to take its rightful place on the political scene. For the Haitian youth is not only the future of the country: they are already the present. The ball is now in the court of the relevant authorities who must learn to create the conditions allowing this generation to identify and seize the opportunities available to them, in order to exercise their rights and fulfill their civic and political duties, and thus contribute to the rebirth of Haiti.<\/p>
