Polls open in New Caledonia’s first provincial elections since 2019
Key takeaways
- The New Zealand public broadcaster, RNZ, reported that about 2,500 police were deployed to secure and monitor polling stations.
- It said voters were already in a long queue outside a polling station at the Hotel de Ville in the capital, Noumea, before voting started.
- About 192,000 voters will elect 76 councillors for the three provincial assemblies: 40 in the south province, 22 in the north province, and 14 in the Loyalty Islands.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The New Zealand public broadcaster, RNZ, reported that about 2,500 police were deployed to secure and monitor polling stations.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo People vote at the Veyret-Kafoa polling station during New Caledonia's provincial elections in the Riviere Salee neighbourhood of Noumea, New Caledonia [AFP]By AFP and Reuters Published On 28 Jun 202628 Jun 2026Polls have opened in New Caledonia for its first provincial elections since 2019, with a heavy police presence at voting stations on the French-ruled Pacific archipelago.
On Sunday morning, about 2,500 police officers were deployed to secure and monitor polling stations on election day, which began at 8am local time on Sunday (21:00 GMT Saturday), the New Zealand public broadcaster, RNZ, reported.