Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 31 October 1869. The Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council.[1]
Electoral system
editThe 128 members of the National Council were elected in 47 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
editVoter turnout was highest in Aargau at 85.6% (higher than the 79.1% who voted in Schaffhausen, where voting was compulsory) and lowest in Schwyz and Zug at 22.1%.
| Party | First round | Second round | Third round | Total seats | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | |||
| Radical Left | 319,998 | 37.46 | 50 | 39,631 | 28.55 | 3 | 17,932 | 59.95 | 2 | 55 | |
| Liberal Centre | 253,951 | 29.73 | 29 | 29,224 | 21.05 | 1 | 3,433 | 11.48 | 1 | 31 | |
| Democratic Left | 129,260 | 15.13 | 8 | 50,054 | 36.05 | 6 | 14 | ||||
| Catholic Right | 120,248 | 14.08 | 22 | 13,987 | 10.07 | 1 | 8,547 | 28.57 | 1 | 24 | |
| Evangelical Right | 24,582 | 2.88 | 3 | 5,940 | 4.28 | 0 | 3 | ||||
| Radical Left dissidents | 6,122 | 0.72 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Total | 854,161 | 100.00 | 113 | 138,836 | 100.00 | 11 | 29,912 | 100.00 | 4 | 128 | |
| Source: BFS | |||||||||||
By constituency
edit| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats
won |
Elected members | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zürich 1 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 4 |
| |
| Zürich 2 | 3 | Democratic Left | 2 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Heinrich Fierz | |||
| Zürich 3 | 3 | Democratic Left | 3 |
| |
| Zürich 4 | 3 | Democratic Left | 3 |
| |
| Bern 5 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Bern 6 | 4 | Evangelical Right | 3 |
| |
| Radical Left | 1 | Rudolf Brunner | |||
| Bern 7 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Bern 8 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Daniel Flückiger | |||
| Bern 9 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Bern 10 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Lucerne 11 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Josef Martin Knüsel | |
| Radical Left | 1 | Josef Bucher | |||
| Lucerne 12 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Lucerne 13 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 |
| |
| Uri 14 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Josef Arnold | |
| Schwyz 15 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Josef Anton Eberle | |
| Catholic Right | 1 | Karl Styger | |||
| Obwalden 16 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Simon Ettlin | |
| Nidwalden 17 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alois Wyrsch | |
| Glarus 18 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Joachim Heer | |
| Radical Left | 1 | Peter Jenny II | |||
| Zug 19 | 1 | Radical Left | 1 | Karl Josef Merz | |
| Fribourg 20 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 |
| |
| Fribourg 21 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Solothurn 22 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Bünzli | |||
| Basel-Stadt 23 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Jakob Stehlin | |
| Radical Left | 1 | Wilhelm Klein | |||
| Basel-Landschaft 24 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Martin Bider | |||
| Schaffhausen 25 | 2 | Democratic Left | 1 | Wilhelm Joos | |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Friedrich Peyer im Hof | |||
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 26 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Adolf Friedrich Zürcher | |
| Radical Left | 1 | Johannes Hohl | |||
| Appenzell Innerhoden 27 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alois Broger | |
| St. Gallen 28 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |
| Catholic Right | 1 | Johannes Zündt | |||
| St. Gallen 29 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Ulrich Ambühl | |||
| St. Gallen 30 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |
| Radical Left | 1 | Johann M. Hungerbühler | |||
| Grisons 31 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Simeon Bavier | |
| Radical Left | 1 | Gaudenz Gadmer | |||
| Grisons 32 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Johann R. von Toggenburg | |
| Radical Left | 1 | Johann Bartholome Caflisch | |||
| Grisons 33 | 1 | Radical Left | 1 | Johann Albert Romedi | |
| Aargau 34 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |
| Radical Left | 1 | Arnold Künzli | |||
| Aargau 35 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 3 |
| |
| Democratic Left | 1 | Rudolf Urech | |||
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Fridolin Schneider | |||
| Thurgau 37 | 5 | Democratic Left | 4 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Messmer | |||
| Ticino 38 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Ticino 39 | 3 | Catholic Right | 1 | Michele Pedrazzini | |
| Radical Left | 1 | Giovanni Jauch | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Luigi Rusca | |||
| Vaud 40 | 4 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |||
| Vaud 41 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Jean-Louis Demiéville | |||
| Vaud 42 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Valais 43 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Valais 44 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Maurice Evéquoz | |
| Valais 45 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Neuchâtel 46 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Radical Left dissidents | 1 | Louis Constant Lambelet | |||
| Geneva 47 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | François-Jules Pictet | |||
| Source: Gruner[3] | |||||
Council of States
edit| Party | Seats | +/– | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic Right | 14 | 0 | |
| Liberal Centre | 12 | –1 | |
| Radical Left | 11 | –1 | |
| Democratic Left | 4 | +3 | |
| Evangelical Right | 0 | 0 | |
| Independents | 3 | +1 | |
| 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
- ^ Gruner, Erich. Die Wahlen in den Schweizerischen Nationalrat 1848–1919. Vol. 3.