About this election
Cape Verde is scheduled to hold a presidential election on 15 November 2026, with a run-off to follow if no candidate wins an outright majority. The Atlantic archipelago of around half a million people is widely regarded as one of Africa's most stable and consistent democracies, with regular, peaceful alternations of power since the introduction of multiparty politics in 1991. The 2026 vote will choose a successor to President José Maria Neves and takes place under a "cohabitation" arrangement, in which the head of state and the head of government come from rival parties.
The President of Cape Verde is elected by direct universal suffrage using a two-round majority system for a five-year term, renewable once. If no candidate wins more than half of the valid votes in the first round, a run-off is held between the two leading candidates. Cape Verdeans living abroad — a diaspora larger than the resident population, concentrated in the United States, Portugal and elsewhere in Europe — vote in dedicated overseas constituencies, and their ballots can matter in a close race. The President is head of state with powers of appointment, promulgation and a suspensive veto, while executive government is led by a Prime Minister responsible to the National Assembly, making the presidency an important but largely supra-party office.
Politics is a two-party affair between the centre-right Movement for Democracy (MpD) and the centre-left African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), the former liberation movement. Since 2016 the MpD has governed under Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, winning a third consecutive parliamentary term in 2026. The presidency, however, has been held since 2021 by José Maria Neves, a former PAICV prime minister, producing a cohabitation between an MpD government and a PAICV-aligned president. For 2026 the MpD has put forward candidates from its ranks — among them ministers Janine Lélis and Joana Rosa, the latter seeking to become the country's first woman president — while PAICV and others field their own contenders.
In October 2021 José Maria Neves won the presidency in the first round, restoring the office to a PAICV-aligned figure for the first time in years.
| Candidate (2021, first round) | Vote % |
| José Maria Neves (PAICV-backed) | 51.7 |
| Carlos Veiga (MpD-backed) | 42.4 |
Neves won outright, avoiding a run-off, with the remaining votes split among minor candidates. Turnout was modest, as is typical for Cape Verdean presidential contests.
The central questions are whether the governing MpD can capture the presidency and end cohabitation, whether PAICV can retain the office, and how the large diaspora vote breaks. With the MpD fielding multiple prominent candidates, the prospect of a first-round crowded field and a likely run-off is real. The economy — heavily dependent on tourism, remittances and external aid — along with the cost of living, water and energy, and emigration are the issues shaping the campaign.
Cape Verde's politics has an island dimension: the MpD has traditionally been stronger on São Vicente and several northern islands, while PAICV has drawn support on Santiago, the largest and most populous island and home to the capital, Praia. The overseas constituencies for Africa, the Americas and Europe add a distinctive diaspora element. ElectioMap will map the result across the islands and the diaspora constituencies as official figures arrive from the National Elections Commission.
This page will display the live national result and an island-by-island map, with the run-off if one is required, as counting proceeds. Figures are sourced from Cape Verde's National Elections Commission (CNE), which administers and certifies the vote.
It is scheduled for 15 November 2026, with a run-off if no candidate wins an outright majority. The president is elected for a five-year term, renewable once.
By direct universal suffrage in a two-round majority system. Cape Verde's large diaspora votes in overseas constituencies and can influence a close result. The president is head of state, while the prime minister leads the government.
Since 2021 the presidency has been held by José Maria Neves, a former PAICV prime minister, while the government is led by the centre-right MpD under Ulisses Correia e Silva — so head of state and head of government come from rival parties.
The governing MpD has put forward figures from its ranks, including ministers Janine Lélis and Joana Rosa (who would be the first woman president), while PAICV and others field their own contenders. Neves won the 2021 election in the first round with about 51.7%.
With a small electorate, counting is quick and a provisional result is usually known within a day. Live national and island-by-island figures will appear on this page as the National Elections Commission (CNE) reports.
Compiled and reviewed by Bartłomiej Paruzel, Election Data Analyst, from official results. See our data methodology.