Overview:
A photo-driven look at the Committee of Coordination of Labadie (CCL) presidential election on Dec. 14, where residents acted as watchdogs to prevent fraud and later celebrated businessman Marc Santo’s narrow victory.
LABADIE, Haiti — Residents dressed mostly in black crowded the entrance of Saint-Mary National School, their faces tense as they scrutinized everyone trying to enter. Standing shoulder to shoulder with hired security guards, they served as unofficial watchdogs during the 2025 Committee of Coordination of Labadie (CCL) presidential election.
Their goal was simple: prevent double voting and block nonresidents from casting ballots. When a man wearing a green shirt and braids approached the gate, accusations erupted.
“This man already voted,” one of the residents shouted.
Guards checked the man’s thumbs, which had been marked with black ink after voting. Though his fingers were dark, he claimed the stains came from cooking. The guards escorted him away as the crowd roared.
As it was on Sunday, Dec. 14, election day in Labadie is often turbulent — charged with anxiety, suspicion and, ultimately, joy. After hours of waiting, the electoral team announced that 46-year-old businessman Marc Santo had won the village’s coordination presidency with 1,005 votes, narrowly defeating Milscent Francklin, who received 927.
As word spread, residents poured into the streets, dancing, singing and embracing. The celebration marked the end of a tense day — and the beginning of new expectations for leadership in the isolated coastal village in northern Haiti. For many observers, what unfolded in Labadie over the weekend demonstrated that Haitians remain eager for participatory democracy when given the chance, and that local governance remains viable.
The images below capture the vigilance, tension and relief that shaped election day in Labadie.
A woman squeezes past security guards to go cast her ballot during the Committee of Coordination of Labadie (CCL) presidential election at Saint-Mary National School on Dec. 14, 2025. Photo by Onz Chéry/The Haitian Times.
Residents, including this young woman smiling serenely, wait in line to cast their vote in the CCL presidential election at Saint-Mary National School on Dec. 14, 2025. Photo by Onz Chéry/The Haitian Times
Voters line up outside Saint-Mary National School during the CCL presidential election on Dec. 14, 2025. Photo by Onz Chéry/The Haitian Times.
Posters of presidential candidates Franklin Milscent (left) and Marc Santo (right), the two frontrunners in the 2025 CCL election. Milscent served as interim president, while Santo previously led the Prunette and Lasous areas of Labadie. Photo by Onz Chéry/The Haitian Times.
Residents wait anxiously for election results after voting closes in Labadie on Dec. 14, 2025. Photo by Onz Chéry/The Haitian Times
Emerson Saint Julles, 17, a motorboat captain who supported Marc Santo, said the candidate’s promises to help young people resonated across Labadie. Photo by Onz Chéry/The Haitian Times
An electoral worker speaks with supervisor Carly Philoclès during a tense moment at Saint-Mary National School on election day, Dec. 14, 2025. Photo by Onz Chéry/The Haitian Times.
A man stands aboard a kannòt, Creole for motorboat, a vital means of transportation for residents traveling in and out of Labadie. Photo by Onz Chéry/The Haitian Times
Labadie, a peninsula about 7.5 miles north of Cap-Haïtien, is accessible only by boat. Photo by Onz Chéry/The Haitian Times.
Dirt roads wind through Labadie, a small coastal village surrounded by trees. Photo by Onz Chéry/The Haitian Times.
Men and security guards gather outside Saint-Mary National School to ensure voters do not cast more than one ballot during the CCL presidential election on Dec. 14, 2025. Photo by Onz Chéry/The Haitian Times
Many women also took part in monitoring the polling site during the CCL presidential election on Dec. 14, 2025. Photo by Onz Chéry/The Haitian Times.
Security guards remain stationed at Saint-Mary National School during the CCL presidential election on Dec. 14, 2025. Photo by Onz Chéry/The Haitian Times
A young man climbs a wall at Saint-Mary National School to glimpse the voting process inside on Dec. 14, 2025. Photo by Onz Chéry/ The Haitian Times.
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