Mauritania is divided into several electoral districts (Arabic: دوائر إنتخابية) for the election of deputies to the National Assembly, based on the departments of the country, with the exception of the capital city of Nouakchott, where the electoral districts are based on the three regions the city is divided in.

Electoral system

The 176 members (an increase of 17 members compared to 2018) of the National Assembly will be elected by two methods (with Mauritanians being able to cast four different votes in a parallel voting system); 125 are elected from single- or multi-member electoral districts based on the departments (or moughataas) that the country is subdivided in[lower-alpha 1] (which the exception of Nouakchott, which has been divided in three 7-seat constituencies for this election based on the three regions (or wilayas) the city is subdivided in instead of the single 18-seat constituency that was used in 2018),[1] using either the two-round system or proportional representation; in single-member constituencies candidates require a majority of the vote to be elected in the first round and a plurality in the second round. In two-seat constituencies, voters vote for a party list (which must contain one man and one woman); if no list receives more than 50% of the vote in the first round, a second round is held, with the winning party taking both seats. In constituencies with three or more seats, closed list proportional representation is used, with seats allocated using the largest remainder method.[3] For three-seat constituencies, party lists must include a female candidate in first or second on the list; for larger constituencies a zipper system is used, with alternate male and female candidates.[3]

It was planned for four seats to be elected by the diaspora, with this election being the first time Mauritanians in the diaspora would have been be able to directly elect their representatives.[1] However, the new electoral law introducing this was struck down as unconstitutional by the Constitutional Council on 10 February 2023.[4]

The remaining 51 seats are elected from three nationwide constituencies, also using closed list proportional representation: a 20-seat national list (which uses a zipper system), a 20-seat women's national list and a new 11-seat youth list (with two reserved for people with special needs), which also uses a zipper system to guarantee the representation of women.[1][3]

Distribution of seats

Every department gets a set number of seats based on their population.[5]

Population Seats Election system
Equal or less than 31,000 1 Two-round system
More than 31,000 2 Two-round general ticket
More than 90,000 3 Largest remainder method
without an electoral threshold
More than 120,000 4
Districts of Nouakchott (pre-assigned) 7

Electoral districts

Districts used between 2018 and 2023
List of districts in Mauritania since 2023
District Registered voters[6] Seats[7]
Adrar
Aoujeft 12,657 (2023) 1
Atar 26,486 (2023) 2
Chinguetti 10,523 (2023) 1
Ouadane 3,428 (2023) 1
Assaba
Barkéol 37,795 (2023) 2
Boumdeid 10,763 (2023) 1
Guerou 25,828 (2023) 2
Kankossa 28,954 (2023) 2
Kiffa 61,102 (2023) 3
Brakna
Aleg 37,250 (2023) 2
Bababé 19,898 (2023) 2
Boghé 33,725 (2023) 2
Magta Lahjar 42,026 (2023) 2
Male (new) 24,809 (2023) 2
M'Bagne 22,377 (2023) 2
Dakhlet Nouadhibou
Chami 10,669 (2023) 1
Nouadhibou 55,754 (2023) 4
Gorgol
Kaédi 35,785 (2023) 3
Lexeiba (new) 14,616 (2023) 1
Maghama 22,344 (2023) 2
M'Bout 42,733 (2023) 3
Monguel 20,013 (2023) 2
Guidimaga
Ghabou 22,802 (2023) 2
Ould Yengé 28,180 (2023) 2
Sélibaby 25,847 (2023) 2
Wompou (new) 14,996 (2023) 2
Hodh Ech Chargui
Amourj 22,745 (2023) 2
Bassiknou 25,291 (2023) 2
Djigueni 29,897 (2023) 2
Dhar (new) 8,333 (2023) 1
Néma 45,191 (2023) 2
Oualata 8,850 (2023) 1
Timbédra 38,489 (2023) 2
Hodh El Gharbi
Aïoun El Atrous 38,430 (2023) 2
Koubenni 40,570 (2023) 3
Tamchekett 20,421 (2023) 2
Tintane 41,156 (2023) 3
Touil (new) 11,678 (2023) 1
Inchiri
Akjoujt 8,326 (2023) 1
Bénichab 11,414 (2023) 1
Nouakchott
Nouakchott-Nord (new) 120,387 (2023) 7
Nouakchott-Ouest (new) 141,921 (2023) 7
Nouakchott-Sud (new) 119,368 (2023) 7
Tagant
Moudjéria 28,224 (2023) 2
Tichitt 4,966 (2023) 1
Tidjikja 22,643 (2023) 2
Tiris Zemmour
Bir Moghrein 3,863 (2023) 1
F'Déirick 4,152 (2023) 1
Zouérate 19,838 (2023) 2
Trarza
Boutilimit 49,529 (2023) 2
Keur Macéne 28,619 (2023) 2
Méderdra 24,533 (2023) 2
Ouad Naga 51,217 (2023) 2
R'kiz 29,791 (2023) 2
Rosso 29,710 (2023) 2
Tékane (new) 23,113 (2023) 2
Diaspora
Africa 7,258 (2023) 1
America 2,695 (2023) 1
Asia 6,366 (2023) 1
Europe 5,969 (2023) 1
Total 1,785,036 (2023) 125

Notes

  1. ↑ Six new departments were created in September 2021, which have led to an increase in seats representing them.[1][2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "نص الاتفاق النهائي بين وزارة الداخلية والأحزاب السياسية" [The text of the final agreement between the Ministry of the Interior and political parties]. AlAkhbar.info (in Arabic). 2022-09-27. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  2. ↑ Edition of the Official Journal of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania carrying the decrees establishing the new departments (in French)
  3. 1 2 3 Electoral system IPU
  4. ↑ "Mauritanie : le conseil constitutionnel rejette un projet de loi organique relatif à l'élection des députés représentant les mauritaniens de l'extérieur" [Mauritania: the Constitutional Council rejects a draft organic law relating to the election of deputies representing Mauritanians living abroad]. SaharaMedias (in French). 2023-02-10. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  5. ↑ "Journal Officiel de la République Islamique de Mauritanie" (PDF). msgg.gov.mr. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  6. ↑ "My CENI". myceni.org (in Arabic and French). Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  7. ↑ Edition of the Official Journal of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania carrying the number of seats per district (in French)
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