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LIBERIA
The Liberian Senate
ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Electoral system module

Parliament name Legislature
Structure of parliament Bicameral
Chamber name The Liberian Senate
Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) House of Representatives
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Electoral Law 29 September 1986
Last amended: 17 September 2014
Mode of designation directly elected 30
Constituencies 15 multi member constituencies (two seats each) corresponding to counties.
Voting system Majority: Block vote
The two candidates who obtain the highest and second highest numbers of valid votes cast are elected.*
*Candidates who obtained the second highest number of valid votes cast in the 2005 elections served a six year term, instead of a nine-year term. All senators elected after the 2011 elections will serve a nine-year term.
By-elections are held within 90 days to fill seats which become vacant between general elections, except in the last 90 days before a general election.
Voter requirements - Liberian citizenship;
- Age: at least 18 years old at the end of the registration period;
- Registration on a voting roll;
- Residence in the country during voter registration and on polling day;
- Disqualifications: mental illness, court-declared incompetency.
CANDIDATES
Eligibility - Liberian citizenship by origin;
- Age: at least 30 years old.
Incompatibilities Not available.
Candidacy requirements (1) Membership of a political party, one of whose members is, at the time of the election, the President or a member of the legislature;
(2) Membership of a political party which, or status as an individual candidate who, in the most recent elections, obtained at least 2% of the total of all valid votes cast for all candidates in the constituencies in which the party or candidate ran. Parties which or candidates who fail to reach the 2% threshold are not allowed to contest the next two elections.

- The list of candidates presented by a political party must include a candidate for at least half of all the constituencies in the election.
- A political party or coalition should endeavor to ensure that no less than 30% of the members of its governing body and no less than 30% of those on its candidate list for an election are from each gender.

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