New Caledonia polls close in French territory's first provincial elections since 2019
Key takeaways
- Voting in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia closed on Sunday, with a turnout of 54.42 per cent, as citizens participated in the archipelago's first provincial elections since 2019.
- By: FRANCE 24 DPeople cast their vote at the Salle Omnisports polling station in Noumea's Anse Vata district during provincial elections, in Noumea, New Caledonia, on June 28, 2026.
- The poll took place peacefully, an AFP journalist in the capital Noumea observed, with additional security deployed two years after deadly riots erupted over a plan to extend voting rights in the territory.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Voting in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia closed on Sunday, with a turnout of 54.42 per cent, as citizens participated in the archipelago's first provincial elections since 2019. The results of the election, initially planned for 2024, will determine the balance of power in New Caledonia ahead of fresh negotiations with France on the territory's status, with independence remaining the defining political issue.
By: FRANCE 24 DPeople cast their vote at the Salle Omnisports polling station in Noumea's Anse Vata district during provincial elections, in Noumea, New Caledonia, on June 28, 2026. © Delphine Mayeur, AFP Voters in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia cast ballots Sunday in the archipelago's first provincial elections since 2019, after the vote was delayed as talks stalled over its political future.
The results of the election, initially planned for 2024, will determine the balance of power in New Caledonia ahead of fresh negotiations with France on the territory's status, with independence remaining the defining political issue.