New Caledonia held provincial elections on June 28, 2026, its first since 2019 after a two-year delay caused by stalled political talks and deadly unrest in 2024 [1, 2, 3, 4]. About 192,000 eligible voters chose 76 provincial councillors, with 40 seats in South Province, 22 in North Province, and 14 in the Loyalty Islands [1, 2, 3, 4]. Of those elected, 54 will serve as members of New Caledonia’s Congress, the main local legislative body [1, 2, 3, 4]. The congress will then elect up to 11 members to form the collegial executive government [1, 2, 3, 4].

The election represents a crucial test in the island’s contentious political landscape as it approaches new negotiations with France on its future status [1, 2, 3, 4]. Three independence referendums held in 2018, 2020, and 2021 all produced majorities favoring staying part of France, though the 2021 vote was boycotted by pro-independence groups [1, 2, 3, 4]. The main pro-independence coalition rejected the Bougival Accord, which proposed a distinct Caledonian state and nationality but canceled any future independence referendums [1, 2, 3, 4]. Despite previous referendum results, pro-independence sentiment remains strong, particularly among the indigenous Melanesian Kanak population [1, 2, 3, 4].

Voter rolls expanded significantly in May 2026, with a new law adding 10,575 previously excluded native-born residents to the electorate—over 4,000 of whom hold customary Kanak civil status [1, 2, 3, 4]. This change came after the electoral roll had been frozen since a 1998 agreement defined voting eligibility based on residence before 1998 and Kanak lineage [1, 2, 3, 4]. Plans to further extend voting rights to other long-term non-indigenous residents triggered riots in 2024 that left 14 dead and caused damage estimated at more than 2 billion euros [1]. French authorities deployed roughly 2,400 law enforcement officers to maintain security and are expected to keep forces in place through mid-July 2026 [1].

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said negotiations over New Caledonia’s future will resume in July 2026, with the goal of reaching an agreement before the end of the year. He stated, "Negotiations on the overseas territory’s future will resume next month, with the goal of reaching an agreement before the year’s end." [1]