2027 presidential election : more than one million new voters, CENI accelerates preparations

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, August 31, 2026 — More than one million new voters are expected to be added to the Burundian electoral register for the presidential election scheduled for 2027. The announcement was made on Friday, August 28, in Bujumbura, the commercial capital, where the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) is located, by its president, Prosper Ntahorwamiye, during a meeting with electoral partners.

According to the CENI president, the partial voter registration process is planned for October 2026. It is expected to take place in more than 4,000 registration centers, which will also serve as polling stations for the upcoming elections.

18-year-olds and returnees
primarily targeted

This new operation will primarily concern Burundians who were under 18 years of age during the 2025 voter registration period.

It will also be aimed at Burundians recently returned to Burundi after 2025, as well as other citizens who, for various reasons, were unable to register during the previous operation.

The objective is to enable all citizens meeting the legal requirements to participate in the 2027 presidential election.

Accreditation of representatives also planned

In the electoral calendar project presented by the CENI (Independent National Electoral Commission), October is also expected to be dedicated to the accreditation of representatives of political parties and candidates.

The precise dates for the various operations have not yet been finalized.

“We evolve with the times, but also with the evolution of people,” explained Prosper Ntahorwamiye, emphasizing that the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) regularly holds meetings with electoral partners to identify difficulties and work together to find solutions to potential problems.

What to do if you lose your voter card?

The issue of losing one’s voter card was also addressed.

According to the CENI president, losing one’s card should not, in itself, deprive a citizen of their right to vote, provided they are registered in the electoral database and meet the required conditions.

He assured that measures will be taken to allow these voters to participate in the election.

Prosper Ntahorwamiye also discussed the electoral register audit process. He stated that posting or publishing the electoral lists is already an important step in this audit, as it allows citizens and various stakeholders to carry out necessary checks.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) promises greater transparency

The president of the CENI assured that his institution intends to demonstrate maximum transparency in order to identify and correct any shortcomings, errors, and irregularities that may be observed during the electoral process.

“Human work can always be improved,” he acknowledged, adding that the observations made by various stakeholders should contribute to improving the organization of the elections.

A presidential election separate from the legislative elections

The 2027 presidential election will have a unique historical feature. It will be held separately from the legislative elections, in accordance with the 2018 Constitution, which stipulates separate presidential and legislative elections.

This election takes place in a specific political context, as Burundi returned to a multi-party system in the early 1990s. In June 1993, Melchior Ndadaye became Burundi’s first democratically elected Hutu president, following the victory of the Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) in the first multi-party elections since the introduction of multi-party politics. He was assassinated on October 21, 1993, just a few months after taking office.

Since then, the organization of presidential and legislative elections has undergone several changes, against a backdrop of political crises and violence that have profoundly marked the recent history of this small East African nation.

The 2027 presidential election will thus be the first presidential election held separately from the legislative elections, as stipulated by the 2018 Constitution.