Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 29 October 1854. The Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council, winning 80 of the 120 seats.[1]
Electoral system
editThe 120 members of the National Council were elected in 49 single- and multi-member constituencies; there was one seat for every 20,000 citizens, with seats allocated to cantons in proportion to their population.[2] The elections were held using a three-round system; candidates had to receive a majority in the first or second round to be elected; if it went to a third round, only a plurality was required. Voters could cast as many votes as there were seats in their constituency.[2] In six cantons (Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Glarus, Nidwalden, Obwalden and Uri), National Council members were elected by the Landsgemeinde.
Results
editNational Council
edit | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
| Radical Left | 59.5 | 80 | +2 | ||
| Liberal Centre | 15.8 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Catholic Right | 14.3 | 14 | –2 | ||
| Evangelical Right | 7.4 | 6 | –1 | ||
| Democratic Left | 1.6 | 2 | –1 | ||
| Dissidents | 1.4 | 2 | New | ||
| Total | 120 | 0 | |||
| Total votes | 236,760 | – | |||
| Registered voters/turnout | 517,641 | 45.74 | |||
| Source: BFS, Gruner[3] | |||||
By constituency
edit| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats won |
Elected members | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zürich 1 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Democratic Left | 1 | Johann Jakob Treichler | |||
| Zürich 2 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Zürich 3 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Zürich 4 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Evangelical Right | 1 | Paul Carl Eduard Ziegler | |||
| Bern 5 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Bern 6 | 4 | Evangelical Right | 3 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Cristoph Albert Kurz | |||
| Bern 7 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Evangelical Right | 1 | Gottlieb Rudolf Bühlmann | |||
| Bern 8 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Bern 9 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Bern 10 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Lucerne 11 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Josef Bucher | |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Josef Martin Knüsel | |||
| Lucerne 12 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Lucerne 13 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Uri 14 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Florian Lusser | |
| Schwyz 15 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Karl Styger | |
| Radical Left | 1 | Jakob Meinrad Hegner | |||
| Obwalden 16 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Wirz | |
| Nidwalden 17 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Melchior Wyrsch | |
| Glarus 18 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Zug 19 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Konrad Bossard | |
| Fribourg 20 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |
| Catholic Right | 1 | Alfred Vonderweid | |||
| Fribourg 21 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Solothurn 22 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |
| Radical Left | 1 | Josef Munzinger | |||
| Basel-Stadt 23 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Jakob Stehlin | |
| Basel-Landschaft 24 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Schaffhausen 25 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Johann Georg Fuog | |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Franz Adolf Schalch | |||
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 26 | 2 | Independent | 1 | Jakob Kellenberger | |
| Radical Left | 1 | Titus Tobler | |||
| Appenzell Innerhoden 27 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Johann Nepomuk Hautle | |
| St. Gallen 28 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| St. Gallen 29 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| St. Gallen 30 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| St. Gallen 31 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Johann Matthias Hungerbühler | |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Georg Anderegg | |||
| Grisons 32 | 1 | Evangelical Right | 1 | Johann Baptista Bavier | |
| Grisons 33 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Andreas Rudolf von Planta | |
| Grisons 34 | 1 | Radical Left | 1 | Georg Michel | |
| Grisons 35 | 1 | Radical Left | 1 | Alois de Latour | |
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Samuel Frey | |||
| Aargau 37 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Friedrich Schmid | |||
| Aargau 38 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Radical Left | 1 | Augustin Keller | |||
| Thurgau 39 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Ticino 40 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 |
| |
| Ticino 41 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Rocco Bonzanigo | |||
| Vaud 42 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Vaud 43 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Democratic Left | 1 | Abram-Daniel Meystre | |||
| Vaud 44 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Valais 45 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alexis Allet | |
| Valais 46 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Antoine de Riedmatten | |
| Valais 47 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Neuchâtel 48 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Geneva 49 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 3 |
| |
| Source: Gruner[4] | |||||
Election re-runs
edit| Constituency | Seats | Date of re-run | Party | Seats won |
Elected members | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ticino 40 | 3 | 11 March 1855 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Ticino 41 | 3 | 11 March 1855 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Source: Gruner[4] | ||||||
Council of States
edit| Party | Seats | +/– | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radical Left | 14 | –3 | |
| Liberal Centre | 14 | 0 | |
| Catholic Right | 10 | 0 | |
| Democratic Left | 1 | +1 | |
| Evangelical Right | 1 | –1 | |
| Independents | 2 | +1 | |
| Vacant | 2 | +2 | |
| Total | 44 | 0 | |
| Source: The Federal Assembly | |||
References
edit- ^ Elections to the National Council 1848–1917: Distribution of seats by party or political orientation Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine BFS
- ^ a b Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1886 ISBN 9783832956097
- ^ Erich Gruner (1978) Die Wahlen in den Schweizerischen Nationalrat 1848–1919, A. Francke
- ^ a b Gruner, Erich. Die Wahlen in den Schweizerischen Nationalrat 1848–1919. Vol. 3.