Liberia held general elections on 4 May 1971, returning the Tubman–Tolbert ticket unopposed only weeks before a major constitutional succession.
Presidential election
William V. S. Tubman of the True Whig Party was reelected without an opposing candidate. Comparative sources report 714,005 votes for the ticket.
Vice presidency
William R. Tolbert Jr. was returned as vice president.
Legislative election
The True Whig Party won all 52 seats reported for the House of Representatives. The absence of an opposition parliamentary presence reflected the one-party character of the late First Republic.
Succession after Tubman’s death
President Tubman died in office on 23 July 1971. Vice President Tolbert succeeded him under the constitutional order, making the election’s vice-presidential result immediately consequential.
Data caution
The presidential total is a published historical figure rather than an independently audited count. Detailed constituency returns and ballot-accounting documentation remain incomplete.
Historical significance
The election was Tubman’s last after nearly three decades in power. Its mandate passed within months to Tolbert, who would lead Liberia through the final years of the First Republic.
Evidence status
Verified: date, unopposed ticket, party control of the reported House seats, and constitutional succession. Incomplete: full local returns, registration and turnout audit, and Senate details.