AFRICAN ELECTIONS DATABASE
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Elections in Liberia
 
Political Profile
Political System: Democracy
President: Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (UP) [since 16 January 2006; elected 2005] The president is elected by direct popular vote for a 6-year term. Electoral System: Two Round (Run-off).
Legislaure [bicameral]
--Senate (30 Seats) Members (2 per county) are elected by direct popular vote in single-member constituencies using the first-past-the-post system. 15 'Senior' Senators [Those who placed first in their respective county] serve 9-year terms, while the remaining 15 'Junior' Senators [Those who placed second in their respective county] serve 6-year terms.
--House of Representatives (64 Seats) Members are elected by direct popular vote in single-member constituencies using the first-past-the-post system; members serve 6-year terms.
Political Situation since Independence
1847-1878 Emerging Democracy
1878-1980 [De-Facto] One Party State (TWP)
1980-1984 Military Regime
1984-1990 Restricted Democratic Practice
1990-1997 Transitional Governments
1997-2001 Emerging Democracy
2001-2003 Restricted Democratic Practice
2003-2006 Transitional Government
2006-        Democracy
[Note: Governments were elected by Americo-Liberian males (descendants of the freed slaves from the United States) until 1951, when universal suffrage was introduced.]
2007 Freedom House Rating: Political Rights - 3, Civil Liberties - 4, Status: Partly Free
Next Scheduled Presidential Election: 2012
Next Scheduled Senatorial Election: 2012; 2015
Next Scheduled House of Representatives Election: 2012
Political Parties: AAP - Anti-Administration Party, ALCOP - All Liberia Coalition Party, CDC - Congress for Democratic Change, FAPL - Freedom Alliance Party of Liberia, FDP - Free Democratic Party, ITWP - Independent True Whig Party, LAP - Liberian Action Party, LDP - Liberian Destiny Party, LEAD - Liberia Education and Development Party, LERP - Liberia Equal Rights Party, LINU - Liberia National Union, LP - Liberty Party, LPL - Labor Party of Liberia, LPP - Liberian People’s Party, LUP - Liberia Unification Party, NATVIPOL - National Vision Party of Liberia, NDM - New Deal Movement, NDPL - National Democratic Party of Liberia, NPL - National Party of Liberia, NPP - National Patriotic Party (authoritarian), NRP - National Reformation Party, PAP - Pro-Administration Party [True Liberian Party], PDPL - People's Democratic Party of Liberia, PP - People’s Party, PPP - Progressive People's Party, PRODEM - Progressive Democratic Party, RAP - Reformation Alliance Party, RP - Reformation Party, RP - Republican Party, RULP - Reformed United Liberia Party, TWP - True Whig Party, ULD - Union of Liberian Democrats, UP - Unity Party (centrist), UPP - United People’s Party.
Coalitions: Alliance of Political Parties (ALLIANCE) [Contested the 1997 Presidential and Legislative Elections] Member parties include the Liberian Action Party (LAP) and Liberia Unification Party (LUP); Alliance for Peace and Democracy (APD) [Contested the 2005 Presidential and Legislative Elections] Member parties include the Liberian People’s Party (LPP) and United People’s Party (UPP); Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia (COTOL) [Contested the 2005 Presidential and Legislative Elections] Member parties include the Liberian Action Party (LAP), Liberia Unification Party (LUP), People’s Democratic Party of Liberia (PDPL), and the True Whig Party (TWP); United Democratic Alliance (UDA) [Contested the 2005 Presidential and Legislative Elections] Member parties include the Liberia National Union (LINU), Liberia Education and Development Party (LEAD), and the Reformation Alliance Party (RAP).
 
Election Results
 
 
Legislative [Data on legislative elections held between 1847 and 1980 is not available]
--Senate: 1985, 1997, 2005
--House of Representatives: 1985, 1997, 2005
Referenda: 1846, 1847, 1975, 1984
 
 
27 October 1846 Referendum
Main Points: Declaration of Independence

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Results

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

 52%

"No" Votes

 48%

 
27 September 1847 Constitutional Referendum [Results by Settlement]
Main Points: President with executive powers, Bicameral legislature, Only Africans and their descendents can obtain the right to vote, Only landowners have voting rights

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

272

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

214

78.68%

"No" Votes

58

21.32%

 
27 September 1847 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Joseph Jenkins Roberts, backed by the Pro-Administation Party (PAP) defeated Samuel Benedict of the Anti-Administration Party (AAP). No Figures Available.
 
1849 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Joseph Jenkins Roberts was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1851 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Joseph Jenkins Roberts was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1853 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Joseph Jenkins Roberts was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1855 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Stephen A. Benson was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1857 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Stephen A. Benson was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1859 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Stephen A. Benson was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1861 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Stephen A. Benson was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1863 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Daniel B. Warner of the True Whig Party (TWP) was elected president. No Figures Available.
 
1865 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Daniel B. Warner of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1867 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

James Spriggs Payne of the Republican Party (RP) was elected president. No Figures Available.
 
1869 Presidential Election*

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Edward James Roye of the True Whig Party (TWP) was elected president. No Figures Available.
*Edward James Roye was deposed on 26 October 1871. From 26 October 1871 to 4 November 1871, a Chief Executive Committee led by Charles Benedict Dunbar, Amos Herring, and Reginald A. Sherman governed the nation. The remainder of Roye's Term [4 November 1871-1 January 1872] was completed by James S. Smith.
 
1871 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Joseph Jenkins Roberts of the Republican Party (RP) was elected president. No Figures Available.
 
1873 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Joseph Jenkins Roberts of the Republican Party (RP) was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1875 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

James Spriggs Payne of the Republican Party (RP) was elected president. No Figures Available.
 
1877 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Anthony William Gardiner of the True Whig Party (TWP) was elected president. No Figures Available.
 
1879 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Anthony William Gardiner of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1881 Presidential Election*

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Anthony William Gardiner of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected. No Figures Available.
*Anthony William Gardiner resigned on 20 January 1883. Alfred Francis Russell completed his term.
 
1883 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Hilary R.W. Johnson of the True Whig Party (TWP) was elected president. No Figures Available.
 
1885 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Hilary R.W. Johnson of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1887 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Hilary R.W. Johnson of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1889 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Hilary R.W. Johnson of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1891 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Joseph J. Cheeseman of the True Whig Party (TWP) was elected president. No Figures Available.
 
1893 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Joseph J. Cheeseman of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1895 Presidential Election*

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Joseph J. Cheeseman of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected. No Figures Available.
*Joseph J. Cheeseman died in office on 12 November 1996. William David Coleman completed his term.
 
1897 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

William David Coleman of the True Whig Party (TWP) was elected president. No Figures Available.
 
1899 Presidential Election*

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

William David Coleman of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected. No Figures Available.
*William David Coleman resigned on 11 December 1900. Garretson W. Gibson completed his term.
 
1901 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Garretson W. Gibson of the True Whig Party (TWP) was elected president. No Figures Available.
 
1903 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Arthur Barclay of the True Whig Party (TWP) was elected president. No Figures Available.
 
1905 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Arthur Barclay of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1907 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Arthur Barclay of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1911 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Daniel Edward Howard of the True Whig Party (TWP) was elected president. No Figures Available.
 
1915 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Daniel Edward Howard of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1919 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Charles D.B. King of the True Whig Party (TWP) was elected president. No Figures Available.
 
1923 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Charles D.B. King of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected. No Figures Available.
 
1927 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

33,000 (approx.)

Candidate (Party)

Number of Votes*

% of Votes*

Charles D.B. King (TWP)

24,000

72.7%

Thomas J. Faulkner (PP)

9,000

27.3%

*Figures are approximate. Accurate Figures Not Available.
 
1931 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Edwin Barclay of the True Whig Party (TWP) defeated People's Party (PP) candidate Thomas J. Faulkner. No Figures Available.
 
Note: Special legislation in 1935, confirmed by a referendum, extended Barclay's current term to eight years, bypassing the election scheduled for that year.
 
1939 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Edwin Barclay of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected unopposed. No Figures Available.
 
04 May 1943 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

William Tubman of the True Whig Party (TWP) was elected unopposed. No Figures Available.
 
01 May 1951 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

William Tubman of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected unopposed. No Figures Available.
 
May 1955 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

246,055

Candidate (Party)

Number of Votes

% of Votes

William Tubman (TWP)

244,873

99.5%

Edwin Barclay (ITWP)*

1,182

0.5%

*Barclay also received the nomination of the Reformation Party (RP).
 
May 1959 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

William Tubman of the True Whig Party (TWP) defeated Independent candidate William O. Davies Bright. No Figures Available.
 
1963 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

565,044

Candidate (Party)

Number of Votes

% of Votes

William Tubman (TWP)

565,044

100.00%

 
May 1967 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

William Tubman of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected unopposed. No Figures Available.
 
May 1971 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

714,005

Candidate (Party)

Number of Votes

% of Votes

William Tubman (TWP)*

714,005

100.00%

*William Tubman died on 23 July 1971. Vice President William Tolbert served as provisional president until he was formally inaugurated on 03 January 1972.
 
07 October 1975 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

William Tolbert of the True Whig Party (TWP) was re-elected unopposed. No Figures Available.
 
07 October 1975 Referendum
Main Points: Restricting the President's Term

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Results

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

90%

"No" Votes

10%

 
03 July 1984 Constitutional Referendum
Main Points: Not Available

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Voters endorsed the new constitution. No Figures Available.
 
15 October 1985 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

519,040

Candidate (Party)

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Samuel K. Doe (NDPL)

264,362

50.93%

Jackson F. Doe (LAP)

137,270

26.45%

Gabriel Kpolleh (LUP)

59,965

11.55%

Edward Kesselly (UP)

57,443

11.07%

 
15 October 1985 Legislative Election
Senate

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

House of Representatives

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party

Senate

House of Representatives

Number of Seats (26)

Number of Seats (64)

National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL)

21

51

Liberian Action Party (LAP)

03

08

Unity Party (UP)

01

03

United People’s Party (UPP)

01

02

 
19 July 1997 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available