Elections in Comoros

The electoral system of the Union of Comoros is based on universal, free, direct, equal and secret suffrage. The President is elected directly in a single national constituency through a two-round system: an absolute majority is required in the first round, while the second round is decided by relative majority. The presidential term is five years. The governors of the three autonomous islands are also elected directly for five years through two rounds. A person may serve no more than two consecutive terms as governor. The Assembly of the Union has 24 directly elected deputies from 24 constituencies. Their election uses two rounds and five-year terms. The Assembly also includes nine island representatives, with three designated by each Conseil insulaire rather than chosen through a direct national ballot. At commune level, voters elect Conseil communal members through list elections for five years. The Conseil communal subsequently elects the maire and deputy mayors indirectly. The CENI coordinates national election administration through 13 members. A CEII operates on each island, a CECI operates in each commune, and CEIA or CEIC bodies serve diplomatic missions and consulates. The CNTDE is the centralized computerized voter register supervised by the ministry responsible for elections and the CENI. The ministry sets election parameters, identification requirements, voting hours, forms and electoral boundaries. The Cour Suprême reviews legality, handles election disputes from voter registration through the results, and proclaims definitive results. The CNPA supervises media and campaign matters. A voter generally needs Comorian citizenship, to be at least 18 on election day, civil and political rights, inclusion on the current electoral list and no applicable legal exclusion. Registration identification can use an acte de naissance, a jugement supplétif or a national biometric identity document. A voter may have only one registration and one polling station. The electoral register is closed each year on 31 December. The personal voter card is issued by the CECI or mairie at least 30 days before an election. A card that was not collected may be obtained at the polling station using a national biometric identity card or an acte de naissance. The CENI provides an online search using the voter-card number, NIN or civil-status details, but that search alone does not prove that all registration processes have been completed digitally. Candidates must submit a declaration and the documents required for the office concerned. The usual file can include identification or a passport, a criminal-record certificate, a medical certificate, proof of birth, proof of residence issued within the previous three months, a voter card, a declaration of assets except for commune-council candidates, and the required deposit. Independent candidacies are generally permitted. Additional age, residence, language, deposit and possible support requirements depend on whether the candidacy concerns the presidency, a governorship or a deputy seat. The legal framework refers to presidential sponsorship equal to 0.8 percent, but its practical application was not operationalized in 2024 and should be checked against the current rules before a presidential filing. Campaign periods generally last about 21 to 45 days, depending on the election. Campaign propaganda ends when the campaign period closes. Publication of polls or forecasts is prohibited from two days before election day until polling stations close. Public resources may not be used for campaign propaganda. A candidate holding public office takes leave once the definitive candidate list is issued. Campaign funds are handled through a bank account in the Union of Comoros, and campaign accounts are submitted at least one month after definitive results. Voting takes place on one national election day, including at diplomatic and consular representations when the election is activated there. A single election normally lasts nine hours; elections held together can last eleven hours. Polling cannot begin before 7:00, and the exact hours are set by an order issued at least one month beforehand. A polling station may serve no more than 500 registered voters. Officials check identity and the electoral list using the voter card or national biometric identity card. The voter receives the ballot, votes alone in a booth, places it in the ballot box and uses a fingerprint or indelible ink procedure. The ballot remains secret. A voter with a physical impairment that prevents independent voting may receive assistance, but a polling-station member or candidate representative may not act as the assisting person. Proxy voting is available for security and state personnel, people with documented professional or family absence, hospitalized or homebound people, and people with major disabilities or impairments. The proxy authorization is legalized by the Tribunal de première instance, the prefect or a diplomatic or consular representative. The proxy must support the same list and may hold no more than one proxy. Counting begins immediately after the polling station closes. It is public and continues without interruption at the polling station. Officials compare signatures or attendance records with ballots. If the difference exceeds five, the ballot box is placed in quarantine and the matter is recorded in the procès-verbal for review by the Cour Suprême. The polling-station result is displayed immediately but remains provisional. The procès-verbal records the closing procedure, votes, complaints and signatures. Sealed envelopes transmit the records to the CENI, Cour Suprême, ministry and relevant island or commune commissions. The CENI publishes national and island provisional results within a maximum of five days after closing and sends the material to the Cour Suprême within 24 hours. The Cour Suprême issues the definitive proclamation after resolving the relevant disputes. The CENI publishes results broken down by polling station online within three days after the definitive proclamation. A candidate or representative may observe the count, request that a complaint be entered in the procès-verbal and request a certified copy. Appeal deadlines depend on the act being challenged and the applicable electoral or organic law; there is no single deadline for every electoral dispute. When an election is annulled, a partial repeat election will generally take place within 30 days. Registration and voting have no documented official fee. Candidate costs vary by office, with a deposit of 500,000 FC for a deputy candidacy and 3,000,000 FC for a governorship candidacy. The presidential amount must be checked in the applicable special text or candidate notice. The geography of the three islands, transport, access to identity documents, voter-card availability and limited administrative resources can affect practical access even where the formal rules are uniform. The legal framework provides for voting by the diaspora in presidential elections, for overseas deputies and in referendums, but the practical activation depends on implementing rules. Election dates, candidate lists, polling stations, official hours, overseas arrangements, proxy procedures and appeal deadlines should therefore be checked against the latest CENI, ministry and Cour Suprême notices before taking action.