2026 Gambian presidential election
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Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in the Gambia in December 2026. Incumbent president Adama Barrow is running for a third term.[1]
Electoral system
[edit]The President of the Gambia is elected in a single round by first-past-the-post voting for a five-year term.[2] Registered voters receive a voter's card which must be presented at the assigned polling station. After verifying eligibility, a polling officer marks the voter's left forefinger with indelible ink.[3]
Instead of using paper ballots, elections in the Gambia are conducted using marbles. Each voter receives a marble and places it in a tube on top of a sealed drum that corresponds to that voter's favoured candidate. The drums for different candidates are painted in different colours corresponding to the party affiliation of the candidate, and a picture of the candidate is affixed to their corresponding drum. The drums are placed in the booth concealed from the officials to preserve ballot secrecy; the insertion of a marble rings a bell inside to signal that the vote has been cast.[4][3] As a precaution against COVID-19, for this election sanitizer was provided at the entrances and exits of the booth.[5]
During the tallying process, a candidate's drum is unsealed and its contents emptied in batches on hole boards with a capacity of 200 to 500 marbles each. Once the tellers agree on the number of marbles, the drum is refilled and retained for use in a recount, and the tellers pass to the next candidate's urn. This process, repeated in each polling station, is very fast; the results are generally known at the national level the day after the vote.[6]
The system has the advantages of low cost and simplicity, both for understanding how to vote and for counting the results. The method is reported to have an extremely low error rate for miscast ballots.[4]
Background
[edit]The 2020 draft constitution that failed to be ratified, was widely regarded as a step toward democratic accountability and included provisions such as a two-term presidential limit, a clause that became a point of contention due to Barrow’s eligibility to seek re-election under the current constitution. Ousainou Darboe, leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has consistently accused Barrow of obstructing the process to extend his hold on power, a claim the president's supporters reject.[7]
Candidates
[edit]Confirmed
- President Adama Barrow[1]
- Leader of the UDP and former Vice-President Ousainou Darboe[8]
- National Assembly Member for Foni Bintang Karanai Bakary K. Badjie[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Jawo, D. a (2025-02-06). "Gambia: The Road to 2026 - A Word to the Wise..." The Point. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ "IFES ElectionGuide: Nov. 24, 2011 Republic of The Gambia Election for President". International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Archived from the original on 2022-01-30. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ a b Ceesay, Mustapha (2021-12-04). "Gambia Votes Today". Kerr Fatou Online Media House. Archived from the original on 2022-01-30. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
- ^ a b "Gambia election: Voters use marbles to choose president". BBC News. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
- ^ "The sound of democracy as Gambians go to the polls with a difference". The Commonwealth. 2021-12-04. Archived from the original on 2021-12-04. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
- ^ Zidi, Paulina (2021-12-04). "Présidentielle en Gambie: fort engouement pour un vote dans le calme". RFI (in French). Archived from the original on 2022-01-30. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
- ^ Marenah, Sainey M. K. (2025-02-26). "Gambia's Political Heavyweights Barrow & Darboe Meet to Revive Stalled 2020 Draft Constitution Ahead of 2026 Election". The Alkamba Times. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ "Darboe vows to unseat Barrow in 2026 presidential election". Gambiana. 2024-10-08. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ "Bakary K. Badjie Announces Candidacy For Gambia's 2026 Presidential Election – The Fatu Network". 2025-02-19. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
