The general election of 1 May 1951 returned President William V. S. Tubman to office unopposed and marked a major, though incomplete, expansion of political participation.
Presidential election
William V. S. Tubman of the True Whig Party appeared on the presidential ballot without a contesting candidate. His running mate was William R. Tolbert Jr.
Opposition excluded from the ballot
Didwo Twe helped merge the United People’s Party and Reformation Party and was nominated to oppose Tubman. Election authorities refused his candidacy because it was filed less than sixty days before election day. Richard Nathaniel Holder, an earlier Reformation Party aspirant, had withdrawn.
Reported returns
A contemporary United States diplomatic despatch recorded an unofficial total of 155,792 votes for Tubman and Tolbert. It also reported that displayed local returns suggested participation of roughly 75 to 80 percent of potential voters in various subdivisions.
Data caution: The despatch noted that some people voted without meeting age or property prerequisites. The total is therefore presented as an unofficial contemporary tabulation, not a fully audited national return.
A broader electorate
The election was historically significant because women exercised the franchise in a presidential election and Indigenous citizens from the hinterland participated more broadly under revised suffrage and election laws. Property and administrative barriers nevertheless remained.
Legislative election
The election also involved legislative representation. Complete, verified constituency-level and seat returns have not yet been located.
Historical significance
The election continued True Whig rule while revealing the tension between expanded citizenship and barriers to organized opposition. It provides an important bridge between the restricted pre-1945 system and Liberia’s later mass-electorate politics.
Evidence status
Verified: election date, unopposed Tubman–Tolbert ticket, Twe’s attempted candidacy and exclusion, expanded participation, and the unofficial total. Not yet verified: a certified national canvass and complete legislative results.