1869 Swiss federal election
Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 31 October 1869. The Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council.[1]
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Electoral system
The 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
Summary
Voter 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%.
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| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radical Left | 37.6 | 56 | +3 | ||||||
| Liberal Centre | 25.9 | 31 | –8 | ||||||
| Catholic Right | 15.5 | 23 | +2 | ||||||
| Democratic Left | 14.6 | 15 | +4 | ||||||
| Evangelical Right | 4.1 | 3 | –1 | ||||||
| Independents | 2.3 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 308,510 | 100 | 128 | 0 | |||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 568,713 | 54.2 | – | – | |||||
| Source: BFS | |||||||||
By constituency
| 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 |
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| Bern 5 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Bern 6 | 4 | Evangelical Right | 3 |
| |
| Radical Left | 1 | Rudolf Brunner | |||
| Bern 7 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
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| Bern 8 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 |
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| Liberal Centre | 1 | Daniel Flückiger | |||
| Bern 9 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| Solothurn 22 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| Radical Left | 1 | Arnold Künzli | |||
| Aargau 35 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 3 |
| |
| Democratic Left | 1 | Rudolf Urech | |||
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 |
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| Liberal Centre | 1 | Fridolin Schneider | |||
| Thurgau 37 | 5 | Democratic Left | 4 |
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| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Messmer | |||
| Ticino 38 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
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| 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 |
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| Liberal Centre | 1 | Jean-Louis Demiéville | |||
| Vaud 42 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
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| Valais 43 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
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| Valais 44 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Maurice Evéquoz | |
| Valais 45 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 |
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| Neuchâtel 46 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 |
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| Dissident Liberal | 1 | Louis Constant Lambelet | |||
| Geneva 47 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | François-Jules Pictet | |||
| Source: Gruner[3] | |||||
Council of States
| 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
- Elections to the National Council 1848–1917: Distribution of seats by party or political orientation Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine BFS
- 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.
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