Liberian general election, 1927

Liberian presidential election, 1927

3 May 1927

Nominee Charles D. B. King Thomas J. Faulkner Party True Whig PP Popular vote 240,000 9,000

President before election Charles D. B. King True Whig Elected President Charles D. B. King True Whig

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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.^[1]

Results

Aftermath

Following the election, Faulkner accused members of the True Whig Party government of using slave labour at home and selling slaves to the Spanish colony of Fernando Po, as well as involving the Army in the process.^[2] Despite the government's denials and a refusal to cooperate, the League of Nations established the "International Commission of Inquiry into the Existence of Slavery and Forced Labor in the Republic of Liberia",^[3] under the chairmanship of British jurist Cuthbert Christy to determine the extent of the problem.^[2] American President Herbert Hoover briefly suspended relations to press Monrovia into compliance.^[4] In 1930 the committee's report was published, and although it could not substantiate charges of slavery and forced labor, it implicated government officials, including both King and vice president Allen Yancy of profiting from forced labor, which it equated to slavery.^[3] There were also suggestions about putting Liberia into trusteeship.^[5] As a result, the House of Representatives began impeachment procedures against King, who quickly resigned.^[2] He was succeeded by Edwin Barclay. Faulkner contested the 1931 elections, but lost again.^[1]

Notability

The 1927 general election was referred to as "the most rigged ever" by Francis Johnson-Morris, a modern head of the country's National Elections Commission,^[6] and also made it into the Guinness Book of Records as the most fraudulent ever,^[7][8] as despite there being fewer than 15,000 registered voters, King received around 240,000 votes, compared to 9,000 for Faulkner.^[6]

References

Elections and referendums in Liberia
Presidential elections	1847 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1883 1885 1887 1889 1891 1893 1895 1897 1899 1901 1903 1905 1907 1911 1915 1919 1923 1927 1931 1939 1943 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1985 1997 2005 2011 2017
Legislative elections	1847 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1883 1885 1887 1889 1891 1893 1895 1897 1899 1901 1903 1905 1907 1911 1915 1919 1923 1927 1931 1935 1939 1943 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1985 1997 2005 2011 2014 2017
Referendums	1846 1847 1849 1861 1869 1870 1907 1927 1935 1943 1945 1946 1949 1955 1972 1975 1984 2011
See also: Elections and referendums in the Republic of Maryland