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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Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 31 October 1869. The Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council. [1]
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.
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%.
| 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 | |||||||||||
| 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] | |||||
| 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 | |||
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The 2023 Swiss federal election will be held on 22 October 2023 to elect all members of the National Council and Council of States of Switzerland. It will be followed by elections to the Federal Council, Switzerland's government and collegial presidency, on 13 December.
