10/10/2025
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The Gambia will head to the polls on December 5, 2026, to elect its next president, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced on Wednesday at the launch of the countryโs 2026โ2027 electoral calendar.
IEC Chairman Joseph Colley, speaking at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center, said the presidential election would mark the start of a new electoral cycle that will also see National Assembly elections on April 10, 2027, councillor elections on May 22, 2027, and mayoral and chairperson elections on June 26, 2027.
As part of preparations, a supplementary voter registration exercise will run from April 1 to May 14, 2026, to update the existing voter roll compiled in 2021. Colley stressed that the IEC had validated its new Strategic Plan (2026โ2027), prioritizing inclusivity, transparency, and strict adherence to electoral laws.
โThe Commission will continue to engage stakeholders to ensure clarity, understanding, and confidence in the electoral process,โ Colley said, noting the IECโs constitutional mandate under Section 43 to conduct public elections and referenda.
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However, the announcement has already drawn concerns from opposition leaders. Essa Faal, leader of the APP Sobeya Party, questioned the credibility of the existing voter register, warning that a mere supplementary update may not resolve long-standing issues.
โWe cannot have a level playing field if there are already questions on the existing voter register,โ Faal told journalists. โThere are Gambians who were left out, and at the same time, names of non-Gambians across the border are included. These problems still exist.โ
Faal called for a fresh, nationwide voter registration exercise, which he admitted would be more expensive but said would address concerns over fairness and credibility.
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Another issue likely to dominate debates ahead of the polls is the disenfranchisement of Gambians abroad. Under a recently passed electoral law, Gambians in the diaspora can no longer vote from their countries of residence. Instead, they must travel back home to register and cast their ballots.
For a nation with an estimated 200,000 Gambians living abroad, many of whom send remittances that sustain households, the restriction has sparked frustration.
The upcoming election will be The Gambiaโs second presidential vote since the 2016 ousting of long-time ruler Yahya Jammeh, and the third under President Adama Barrow, who first took office in 2017. Barrow has not yet confirmed whether he will run again, but political analysts say the stakes are high in a country still consolidating its democratic transition.
The IECโs calendar provides clarity on the road ahead, but with concerns over the voter register, diaspora voting, and political tensions already rising, the process is likely to face intense scrutiny from both domestic and international observers.
