1851 Riograndense general election (RRG)

General elections were held in the Riograndense Republic to elect the president and all members of the General Assembly following the adoption of the Radical Constitution and the creation of the Second Republic. Alongside the national offices, voters also elected all members of the municipal councils for their next four-year term. The election marked a landslide for the Radical Party as its main opposition, the National Party, was dissolved in the aftermath of the coup and its former members boycotted the elections. Several minor regional parties were formed but, lacking substantial popular support, they failed to gain seats.

Background
The election was held a mere two weeks after the adoption of a new constitution and the creation of the Second Republic, events that were preceded by General Netto's military coup d'état in July. The new republic had a distinctly liberal character as it was influenced by democratic and secularist ideals. In the aftermath of the coup, the National Party, which had rule the country since its creation in 1845 was dissolved and its members refused to recognize the new government, leading them to boycott the election in protest.

Electoral system
As the first election since the new constitution, the 1851 elections were held under a new electoral system. The president, which would be chosen via a popular vote for the first time, was elected via a plurality vote system. The reformed General Assembly now had two houses whose distinct legitimacies originated from their different modes of election. The Senate would now represent the entire nation and was therefore elected using what would later be known as single non-transferable vote from a nationwide district. The Chamber would be elected from local single-member constituencies by a first-past-the-post system.