the single senegalese seat in the national assembly was created by decree on 5 march 1848. following an order of 5 november 1830 and a law of 24 april 1833, all free-born people and freed slaves in senegal had full civic and political rights, the only french african colony to give such rights until the end of world war ii. the right to vote was given to all men over the age of 25 and who could prove they had lived in their municipality for the previous five years. in total 4,991 men registered to vote, up from 4,706 in the 1848 elections.