1978 Senegalese general election

1978 Senegalese general election

26 February 1978
Presidential election
Turnout	63.12%
Candidate Léopold Sédar Senghor Abdoulaye Wade Party PS PDS Popular vote 807,515 174,817 Percentage 82.20% 17.80%
President before election Léopold Sédar Senghor PS Elected President Léopold Sédar Senghor PS
Parliamentary election
Turnout	62.64%
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/– PS Léopold Sédar Senghor 81.74 82 −18 PDS Abdoulaye Wade 17.88 18 New This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

General elections were held in Senegal on 26 February 1978 to elect a president and National Assembly. Following a constitutional amendment in 1976, the elections were open to more than one party for the first time since 1963. President Léopold Sédar Senghor of the Socialist Party (formerly the Senegalese Progressive Union) was challenged by Abdoulaye Wade of the Senegalese Democratic Party, but won with 82% of the vote. Members of the National Assembly were elected by closed-list proportional representation. In the National Assembly election, the Socialist Party won 82 of the 100 seats. Voter turnout was 63%.

Results

President

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Léopold Sédar Senghor	Socialist Party	807,515	82.20
	Abdoulaye Wade	Senegalese Democratic Party	174,817	17.80
Total			982,332	100.00
Valid votes			982,332	99.37
Invalid/blank votes			6,234	0.63
Total votes			988,566	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			1,566,250	63.12
Source: Nohlen et al.

National Assembly

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Socialist Party	790,799	81.74	82	–18
	Senegalese Democratic Party	172,948	17.88	18	New
	African Independence Party	3,734	0.39	0	New
Total		967,481	100.00	100	0
Valid votes		967,481	99.25
Invalid/blank votes		7,344	0.75
Total votes		974,825	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,556,250	62.64
Source: Nohlen et al.

Further reading

• Fatton, Robert (1987). The Making of a Liberal Democracy: Senegal's Passive Revolution, 1975–1985. Boulder: L. Rienner. ISBN 1-55587-010-4.