Polling stations close in New Caledonia as officials begin counting votes from Sunday’s provincial elections. The vote is the first major local election in the French Pacific territory since 2019, after elections were delayed when negotiations over New Caledonia’s political future stalled and unrest broke out. Several reports link the delay to plans in 2024 to expand voting rights to thousands of non-Indigenous residents, which triggered deadly unrest and postponed elections.
The election’s outcome is expected to shape the balance of power ahead of fresh negotiations with France on the territory’s status. Independence from France remains the central political issue across coverage, with the vote framed as a test of the territory’s future direction. Reporting also indicates that polling takes place peacefully.
Provisional results reported by one outlet suggest anti-independence parties gain ground, though full results have not been finalized in the accounts provided. Voter turnout reported by France 24 is 54.42 per cent.
