General elections were held in Mauritius in August 1948. They were the first under a new constitution, which established a Legislative Council with 19 elected members, 12 appointed members and 3 ex officio members, and expanded the franchise to all adults who could write their name in one of the island's languages. They were won by the Labour Party led by Guy Rozemont, with eleven of the 19 elected seats won by Hindus. However, the Governor-General Donald Mackenzie-Kennedy appointed twelve conservatives to the Council, largely to ensure the dominance of English and French speakers.