Elections in Mauritania

Election Results

Presidential

--Single Party: 1966, 1971, 1976

--Multiparty: 1961, 1992, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2009

Legislative

--Single Party: 1965, 1971, 1975, 1976

--Multiparty: 1959, 1992, 1996, 2001, 2006

Referendums: 1958, 1991, 2006

28 September 1958 Constitutional Referendum

Main Points: Approval of the constitution meant internal autonomy within the "French Community." France agreed to grant independence to any territory that rejected the proposed constitution.

Ballot Question: Do you approve the Constitution proposed by the Government of the Republic?

Registered Voters	382,870
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	322,451 (84.2%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	1,307
Total Valid Votes	321,144

Results	Number of Votes	% of Votes
"Yes" Votes	302,018	94.04%
"No" Votes	19,126	5.96%

17 May 1959 National Assembly Election*

Registered Voters	387,829
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	352,851 (91.0%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	2,725
Total Valid Votes	350,126

Party	Number of Votes	% of Votes	Number of Seats (40)
Mauritanian Regroupment Party (PRM)	350,126	100.00%	40

*The Mauritanian Regroupment Party received 100.00% of the valid votes cast and 99.23% of the total votes cast in the election.

Note: Mauritania gained independence from France on 28 November 1960. From that date until his election as President in August 1961, Prime Minister Moktar Ould Daddah was the country's acting Head of State.

20 August 1961 Presidential Election*

Registered Voters	397,588
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	371,808 (93.5%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	838
Total Valid Votes	370,970

Candidate (Party)	Number of Votes	% of Votes
Moktar Ould Daddah (PRM)	370,970	100.00%

*Moktar Ould Daddah received 100.00% of the valid votes cast and 99.77% of the total votes cast in the election. The Mauritanian National Union (UNM) also supported his candidacy.

Note: On 25 December 1961, all of the country's political parties merged to form a single party - the Mauritanian People's Party (PPM).

Single Party Elections

Sole Legal Party: Mauritanian People's Party (PPM)

9 May 1965 National Assembly Election (40 Seats)

Registered Voters	482,305
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	447,660 (92.8%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	1,816
Total Valid Votes	445,844 (99.59%)
PPM	445,844 (100.00%)

7 August 1966 Presidential Election (Moktar Ould Daddah re-elected unopposed)

Registered Voters	491,320
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	472,657 (96.8%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	1,080
Total Valid Votes	471,577 (99.77%)
Moktar Ould Daddah	471,577 (100.00%)

8 August 1971 Presidential Election* (Moktar Ould Daddah re-elected unopposed)

Registered Voters	534,994
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	515,121 (96.3%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	2,413
Total Valid Votes	512,708 (99.53%)
Moktar Ould Daddah	512,708 (100.00%)

*Some sources list the election date as 9 August 1971.

8 August 1971 National Assembly Election* (50 Seats)

Registered Voters	534,994
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	511,414 (95.6%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	7,008
Total Valid Votes	504,406 (98.63%)
PPM	504,406 (100.00%)

*Some sources list the election date as 9 August 1971.

26 October 1975 National Assembly Election (70 Seats)

Registered Voters	661,416
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	578,201 (87.4%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	3,443
Total Valid Votes	574,758 (99.40%)
PPM	574,758 (100.00%)

8 August 1976 Presidential Election (Moktar Ould Daddah re-elected unopposed)

Registered Voters	648,876
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	634,936 (97.9%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	4,301
Total Valid Votes	630,635 (99.32%)
Moktar Ould Daddah	630,635 (100.00%)

8 August 1976 National Assembly Election

12 July 1991 Constitutional Referendum

Main Points: Multiparty System, Bicameral Parliament, No Presidential Term Limits

Registered Voters	857,121
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	731,512 (85.3%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	3,020
Total Valid Votes	728,492

Results	Number of Votes	% of Votes
"Yes" Votes	713,493	97.94%
"No" Votes	14,999	2.06%

24 January 1992 Presidential Election

Registered Voters	1,183,892
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	560,762 (47.4%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	11,314
Total Valid Votes	549,482

Candidate (Party)	Number of Votes	% of Votes
Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya (PRDS)	345,583	62.89%
Ahmed Ould Daddah (UFD)	180,658	32.88%
Moustapha Ould Mohamed Saleck	15,735	2.86%
Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Mah (UPSD)	7,506	1.37%

*According to Mauritanian standards, blank votes (suffrages neutres) are regarded as valid in the official results of this election, separate from invalid votes (suffrages nuls). These votes are counted together in the table above, in line with internationally-accepted standards and those of African Elections Database. A side-by-side comparison of the election results using both the internationally-accepted and Mauritanian standards can be found here.

6 & 13 March 1992 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters	1,174,087
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	456,237 (38.9%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	10,912
Total Valid Votes	445,325

Party		Number of Seats (79)
Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS)		67
Rally for Democracy and Unity (RDU)		1
Mauritanian Party of Renewal (PMR)		1
Independents		10

11 & 18 October 1996 National Assembly Election*

Registered Voters	1,040,855
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	541,849 (52.1%)

Party		Number of Seats (79)
Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS)		70
Rally for Democracy and Unity (RDU)		1
Action for Change (AC)		1
Independents		7

*The main opposition party, Union of Democratic Forces (UFD), boycotted the election.

12 December 1997 Presidential Election*/**

Registered Voters	1,203,357
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	900,200 (74.8%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	19,191
Total Valid Votes	881,009

Candidate (Party)	Number of Votes	% of Votes
Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya (PRDS)	801,190	90.94%
Chbih Ould Cheikh Malainine	61,869	7.02%
Moulaye El Hacen Ould Jeid (PMRC)	8,165	0.93%
Mohammed Mahmoud Ould Mah (UPSD)	6,443	0.73%
Kane Amadou Moctar	3,342	0.38%

*Boycotted by the main opposition parties.

**According to Mauritanian standards, blank votes (suffrages neutres) are regarded as valid in the official results of this election, separate from invalid votes (suffrages nuls). These votes are counted together in the table above, in line with internationally-accepted standards and those of African Elections Database. A side-by-side comparison of the election results using both the internationally-accepted and Mauritanian standards can be found here.

19 & 26 October 2001 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters	1,028,630
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	560,045 (54.4%)

Party		Number of Seats (81)
Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS)		64
Action for Change (AC)		4
Union for Democracy and Progress (UDP)		3
Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD)		3
Rally for Democracy and Unity (RDU)		3
Union of the Forces of Progress (UFP)		3
Popular Front (FP)		1

7 November 2003 Presidential Election*

Registered Voters	1,106,827
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	682,679 (61.7%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	Not Available
Total Valid Votes	666,886

Candidate (Party)	Number of Votes	% of Votes
Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya (PRDS)	446,966	67.38%
Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla	124,483	18.77%
Ahmed Ould Daddah	45,687	6.89%
Messaoud Ould Boulkheir	33,239	5.01%
Moulaye El Hacen Ould Jeid	9,909	1.49%
Aïcha Mint Jeddane	3,040	0.46%

*Official results published by the Constitutional Council state that 666,886 valid votes were cast, but the distribution of votes among candidates totals 663,324 (a difference of 3,562 votes). Percentage figures in the table are based on the latter number of valid votes cast. Results based on the first figure (666,886 valid votes) are as follows: Ould Taya (67.02%), Ould Haidalla (18.67%), Ould Daddah (6.85%), Ould Boulkheir (4.98%), Ould Jeid (1.49%), and Jeddane (0.46%).

25 June 2006 Constitutional Referendum*/**

Main Points: A limit of two five-year terms for a president elected by popular vote; Maximum presidential age limit of 75.

Registered Voters	989,664
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	756,643 (76.5%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	21,914
Total Valid Votes	734,729

Results	Number of Votes	% of Votes
"Yes" Votes	712,214	98.55%
"No" Votes	10,482	1.45%

*According to Mauritanian standards, blank votes (suffrages neutres) are regarded as valid in the official results of this referendum, separate from invalid votes (suffrages nuls). These votes are counted together in the table above, in line with internationally-accepted standards and those of African Elections Database. A side-by-side comparison of the election results using both the internationally-accepted and Mauritanian standards can be found here.

**Official results published by the Constitutional Council state that 722,778 valid votes were cast, but the distribution of ballots among yes, no, and neutral votes totals 722,696 (a difference of 82 votes). Percentage figures in the table are based on the latter number of valid votes cast.

19 November & 3 December 2006 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters	1,073,287
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	788,029 (73.4%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	122,716
Total Valid Votes	665,313

Party		Number of Seats (95)
Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD)		15
Union of the Forces for Progress (UFP)		8
Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal (PRDR)		7
Popular Progressive Alliance (APP)		5
Rally for Democracy and Unity (RDU)		3
Union for Democracy and Progress (UDP)		3
Mauritanian Party for Union and Change (HATEM)		2
Democratic Renewal (RD)		2
Rally of Democratic Forces-Union of the Forces for Progress (RFD-UFP)		2
Mauritanian Party for Union and Change-Popular Progressive Alliance (HATEM-APP)		2
Popular Front (FP)		1
Social Democratic Unionist Party (PUDS)		1
Alternative		1
National Rally for Democracy, Liberty, and Equality (RNDLE)		1
Union of the Democratic Center (UCD)		1
Independents		41

March 2007 Presidential Election

First Round (11 March 2007)

Registered Voters	1,133,152
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	794,979 (70.2%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	54,129
Total Valid Votes	740,850

Second Round (25 March 2007)

Registered Voters	1,132,877
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	764,045 (67.4%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	57,340
Total Valid Votes	706,705

Candidate (Party)	First Round		Second Round
Candidate (Party)	Number of Votes	% of Votes	Number of Votes	% of Votes
Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi	183,726	24.80%	373,520	52.85%
Ahmed Ould Daddah (RFD)	153,252	20.69%	333,185	47.15%
Zeine Ould Zeidane	113,182	15.28%	-	-
Messaoud Ould Boulkheir (APP)	72,493	9.79%	-	-
Ibrahima Moctar Sarr	58,878	7.95%	-	-
Saleh Ould Hanenna (HATEM)	56,700	7.65%	-	-
Mohamed Ould Maouloud (UFP)	30,254	4.08%	-	-
Dahane Ould Ahmed Mahmoud	15,326	2.07%	-	-
Mohamed Ould Cheikhna	14,200	1.92%	-	-
Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla	12,813	1.73%	-	-
Ethmane Ould Cheikh Ebi El Maali	10,868	1.47%	-	-
Ba Mamadou Alassane (PLEJ)	4,076	0.55%	-	-
Mohamed Ahmed Ould Baba Ahmed Ould Salihi	2,779	0.38%	-	-
Moulaye El Hacen Ould Jeid (PMRC)	2,535	0.34%	-	-
Chbih Ould Cheikh Malainine	2,111	0.28%	-	-
Rajel dit Rachid Moustapha (PMR)	1,977	0.27%	-	-
Sidi Ould Isselmou Ould Mohamed Ahid	1,784	0.24%	-	-
Isselmou Ould El Moustapha (PCD)	1,779	0.24%	-	-
Mohamed Ould Mohamed El Moctar Ould Tomi	1,465	0.20%	-	-
Mohamed Ould Ghoulam Ould Sidaty	652	0.09%	-	-

18 July 2009 Presidential Election

Registered Voters	1,265,063
Total Votes (Voter Turnout)	816,974 (64.6%)
Invalid/Blank Votes	38,543
Total Valid Votes	778,431

Candidate (Party) [Coalition]	Number of Votes	% of Votes
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (UPR)	409,024	52.54%
Messaoud Ould Boulkheir (APP) [FNDD]	126,520	16.25%
Ahmed Ould Daddah (RFD)	105,931	13.61%
Mohamed Jemil Ould Mansour (RNRD-Tawassoul)	36,864	4.74%
Ibrahima Moctar Sarr (AJD-MR)	35,553	4.57%
Ely Ould Mohamed Vall	29,862	3.84%
Kane Hamidou Baba	11,542	1.48%
Saleh Ould Hanenna (HATEM)	11,191	1.44%
Hamada Ould Meimou	9,980	1.28%
Sghair Ould M'Bareck*	1,964	0.25%

*Sghair Ould M'Bareck withdrew from the election, but his name remained on the ballot and he garnered votes.