55 Elections in Liberia

Elections in Liberia occur solely at the national level. The head of state, the President of Liberia, is elected to a six-year term in a two-round system, in which a run-off between the two candidates with the highest number of votes is held should no single candidate earn a majority of the vote in the first round. The Legislature has two elected chambers.

Legislative elections were held in Liberia on 1 December 1840.

General elections were held for the first time in newly independent Liberia on 27 September 1847, alongside a constitutional referendum. The result was a victory for Governor Joseph Jenkins Roberts of the Pro-Administration Party, who defeated Samuel Benedict of the Anti-Administration Party. In a separate vote, Nathaniel Brander was elected Vice President.

General elections were held in Liberia on 1 May 1849, alongside a constitutional referendum. The result was a victory for incumbent President Joseph Jenkins Roberts.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in 1851. The result was a victory for incumbent President Joseph Jenkins Roberts.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in 1853. The result was a victory for incumbent President Joseph Jenkins Roberts.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in 1855. The result was a victory for Vice-President Stephen Allen Benson, who defeated the incumbent Joseph Jenkins Roberts. Benson took office as the country's second president on 7 January 1856.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in 1857. The result was a victory for incumbent President Stephen Allen Benson.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in 1859. The result was a victory for incumbent President Stephen Allen Benson.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in 1861. The result was a victory for incumbent President Stephen Allen Benson.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in 1863. The result was a victory for Daniel Bashiel Warner of the Republican Party. Warner took office on 4 January 1864.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in May 1865. The result was a victory for incumbent President Daniel Bashiel Warner of the Republican Party. Data on the legislative election is unknown.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in May 1867. The result was a victory for James Spriggs Payne of the Republican Party, defeating Opposition Party candidate Edward James Roye. The election was very close, with the House of Representatives required to decide the final outcome.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in May 1869. The result was a victory for Edward James Roye of the True Whig Party, defeating incumbent President James Spriggs Payne. The election was very close, with the House of Representatives required to decide the final outcome.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in May 1871. Former president Joseph Jenkins Roberts of the Republican Party was elected unopposed. Roberts took office on 1 January 1872.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in May 1873. The result was a victory for incumbent President Joseph Jenkins Roberts of the Republican Party.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in May 1875. The result was a victory for former President James Spriggs Payne of the Republican Party. Payne took office on 3 January 1876.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in 1877. The result was a victory for Anthony W. Gardiner of the True Whig Party. Gardiner took office on 7 January 1878. The election began the century-long political dominance of the True Whig Party.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in May 1879. The result was a victory for incumbent President Anthony W. Gardiner of the True Whig Party.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in May 1881. The result was a victory for incumbent President Anthony W. Gardiner of the True Whig Party.

Presidential elections were held in Liberia in May 1883. Only one candidate, Hilary R. W. Johnson, contested the election, and was supported by both the True Whig Party and the Republican Party. Following the election, Johnson declared himself to be a True Whig. He took office on 7 January 1884.

General elections were held in Liberia in May 1885. In the presidential election, the result was a victory for incumbent Hilary R. W. Johnson of the True Whig Party, who was re-elected for a second term.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1887. In the presidential election, the result was a victory for incumbent Hilary R. W. Johnson of the True Whig Party, who was re-elected for a third term.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1889. In the presidential election, the result was a victory for incumbent Hilary R. W. Johnson of the True Whig Party, who was re-elected for a fourth term, the first candidate to achieve four consecutive election victories.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1891. In the presidential election, the result was a victory for Joseph James Cheeseman of the True Whig Party, who defeated former Secretary of War and Navy Anthony D. Williams, Jr., who ran on the New Republican Party ticket.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1893. In the presidential election, incumbent Joseph James Cheeseman of the True Whig Party was re-elected for a second term, defeating Anthony D. Williams, Jr., who ran on the New Republican Party ticket.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1895. In the presidential election, incumbent Joseph James Cheeseman of the True Whig Party was re-elected for a third term.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1897. In the presidential election, incumbent William D. Coleman of the True Whig Party was elected. The former Vice-President had originally taken office following the death of President Joseph James Cheeseman in November 1896.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1899. In the presidential election, incumbent William D. Coleman of the True Whig Party was re-elected for a second full term.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1901. In the presidential election, incumbent Garreston W. Gibson of the True Whig Party was elected for the first time, having originally taken office after the resignation of William D. Coleman in December 1900. He defeated Coleman, who ran on the People's Party ticket.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1903. In the presidential election Arthur Barclay of the True Whig Party was elected. He defeated former President William D. Coleman, who ran on the People's Party ticket. Barclay took office on 4 January 1904

General elections were held in Liberia in 1905. In the presidential election Arthur Barclay of the True Whig Party was re-elected. He defeated former President William D. Coleman, who ran on the People's Party ticket.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1907. In the presidential election Arthur Barclay of the True Whig Party was re-elected for a third term. It was the first time a President had been elected to a four-year term, as all had previously served for two years.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1911. In the presidential election, the result was a victory for Daniel Edward Howard of the True Whig Party. He took office on 1 January 1912.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1915. In the presidential election, the result was a victory for incumbent Daniel Edward Howard of the True Whig Party, who was re-elected for a second term.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1919. In the presidential election, the result was a victory for Charles D. B. King of the True Whig Party. King took office on 5 January 1920.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1923. In the presidential election, the result was a victory for Charles D. B. King of the True Whig Party, who was re-elected for a second term.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1927. In the presidential election, the result was a victory for Charles D. B. King of the True Whig Party, who was re-elected for a third term after defeating Thomas J. Faulkner of the People's Party.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1931. In the presidential election, the result was a victory for incumbent Edwin Barclay of the True Whig Party, who defeated Thomas J. Faulkner of the People's Party to win a first full term.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1939. It was the first presidential election since 1931, as special legislation approved by a referendum in 1935 had extended Edwin Barclay's term from four to eight years. Barclay, a member of the True Whig Party, was the only candidate, and was re-elected unopposed.

General elections were held in Liberia on 4 May 1943 alongside a constitutional referendum. William Tubman of the True Whig Party was elected unopposed. He took office on 3 January 1944.

General elections were held in Liberia on 1 May 1951, the first to be held under universal suffrage, as previously only male descendants of Americo-Liberians had been allowed to vote. This was the first elections in Liberia where women and the local Liberians owning property were allowed to vote based on a Constitutional Referendum in 1945–46. In the presidential election, William Tubman of the True Whig Party was the only candidate, and was re-elected unopposed.

General elections were held in Liberia in May 1955. For the first time since 1931 there was more than one candidate in the presidential election. However, William Tubman of the True Whig Party was easily re-elected, winning over 99.5% of the vote.

General elections were held in Liberia in May 1959. In the presidential election, William Tubman of the True Whig Party was re-elected for a fourth term, defeating independent candidate William O. Davies Bright, who won just 55 votes. For the first time, a woman was elected to the Legislature, with Ellen Mills Scarbrough winning a seat in the House of Representatives.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1963. In the presidential election, incumbent William Tubman of the True Whig Party was the only candidate, and was re-elected unopposed.

General elections were held in Liberia in 1967. In the presidential election, incumbent William Tubman of the True Whig Party was the only candidate, and was re-elected unopposed.

General elections were held in Liberia on 4 May 1971. In the presidential election, incumbent William Tubman of the True Whig Party was the only candidate, and was re-elected unopposed. In the legislative elections, the True Whig Party won all 52 seats in the House of Representatives.

General elections were held in Liberia on 7 October 1975, alongside a simultaneous referendum on presidential term limits. In the presidential election, incumbent William Tolbert of the True Whig Party was the only candidate, and was re-elected unopposed. In the legislative elections True Whig Party candidates won all 71 seats in the House of Representatives and all 18 seats in the Senate unopposed. Voter turnout was around 80%.

General elections were held in Liberia on 15 October 1985. They were the first elections since the 12 April 1980 military coup that brought Samuel Doe to power. During 1984, a new draft constitutional was approved in a referendum, which provided for a 58-member civilian and military Interim National Assembly, headed by Doe as president. After a ban on political parties was lifted, four parties – Doe's National Democratic Party (NDP), the Liberian Action Party, the Unity Party and the Liberia Unification Party – contested the elections.

The 1997 Liberian general election was held on 19 July 1997 as part of the 1996 peace agreement ending the First Liberian Civil War. The presidency, as well as all seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate were up for election. Voter turnout was around 89%. Former rebel leader Charles Taylor and his National Patriotic Party (NPP) won the election with 75.3% of the vote, giving it about three-quarters of the legislative seats according to the proportional representation system. Taylor was inaugurated as president on 2 August 1997.

The 2011 Liberian general election was held on 11 October 2011, with a presidential runoff election held on 8 November 2011. The presidency, as well as all seats in the House of Representatives and half of the seats in the Senate, were up for election. The election was overseen by the National Elections Commission (NEC).

Senate elections were held in Liberia on 20 December 2014, with half the seats in the Senate up for election.

General elections were held in Liberia on 10 October 2017 to elect the President and House of Representatives. No candidate won a majority in the first round of the presidential vote, so the top two finishers — CDC standard-bearer Amb. George Weah and UP standard-bearer Vice President Joseph Boakai — competed in a run-off on 26 December. The second round was originally scheduled for 7 November, but was postponed after LP standard-bearer Cllr. Charles Brumskine, in third place, challenged the result in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court dismissed the challenge, which would have forced a re-run of the first round had it been successful, and the second round was held on 26 December. Weah emerged victorious with 60% of the vote.

Senate elections were held in Liberia on 8 December 2020, with half the seats in the Senate up for election.

The National Elections Commission (NEC) of the Republic of Liberia is an autonomous agency in Liberia that supervises the national elections of Liberia.