Japan and OAS Fund Haiti’s Voter Registration Drive Ahead of Long-Delayed Polls
Japan and the OAS provide $3 million to Haiti for voter registration and ID cards ahead of December elections.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti is set to receive a $3 million grant from Japan and the Organization of American States (OAS) to support voter registration efforts, as the country prepares for its first general elections in over a decade.
The funding, formalized in a Tuesday agreement, will enable Haiti’s government to refresh its voter lists and purchase 350,000 blank identification cards. The OAS said the money will also help reduce the backlog of citizens awaiting ID documents, extend services to rural areas, and improve electricity and internet access at decentralized offices.
Haiti is grappling with a severe security crisis. Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people, many of whom fled their homes without important documents. In Port-au-Prince, an estimated 70% of the capital is under gang control, complicating the registration process that began last month.
The first round of elections is scheduled for December 13, though analysts warn that ongoing violence could force another postponement. Haiti has been without a president since the assassination of Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. Moïse took office after the November 2016 elections.