1917 Swiss federal election

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The 49 electoral districts Wahlkreise 1911-1917.png
The 49 electoral districts

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 28 October 1917. The Free Democratic Party retained its majority in the National Council. [1] They were the last elections held under the majoritarian system; following a referendum in 1918 in which two-thirds of voters voted for the introduction of proportional representation, the electoral system was changed and early elections held in 1919.

Contents

Electoral system

The 189 members of the National Council were elected in 49 single- and multi-member constituencies 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] There was one seat for every 20,000 citizens, with seats allocated to cantons in proportion to their population. [2]

Results

Voter turnout was highest in Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 86.8% and lowest in Uri at 23.4%.

CN1917 diagramme.png
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Free Democratic Party 210,32340.84103–9
Social Democratic Party 158,45030.7720+2
Conservative People's Party 84,78416.4642+5
Liberal Democratic Party 25,1884.8912–4
Democratic Group 16,8183.277+3
Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents 19,4593.784+3
Others1+1
Total515,022100.001890
Valid votes515,02294.04
Invalid/blank votes32,6305.96
Total votes547,652100.00
Registered voters/turnout915,55259.82
Source: Mackie & Rose, [3] BFS (seats)

By constituency

ConstituencySeatsPartySeats
won		Elected members
Zürich 17 Free Democratic Party 7
Zürich 25 Social Democratic Party 5
Zürich 35 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Heinrich Hess
  • Theodor Odinga
  • Karl August Koller
  • Emil Rellstab
Liberal Party 1Johann Rudolf Amsler
Zürich 45 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Hans Sträuli
  • Carl Jakob Sulzer
  • Carl Bertschinger
  • Emil Hardmeier
Social Democratic Party 1Friedrich Studer
Zürich 53 Democratic Group 2
  • David Ringger
  • Johann Konrad Hörni
Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents 1Friedrich Bopp
Bern 66 Free Democratic Party 6
  • Robert Stucki
  • Emil Lohner
  • Arnold Gottlieb Bühler
  • Hermann Schüpbach
  • Johann Jakob Rebmann
  • Johann Friedrich Michel
Bern 77 Social Democratic Party 3
  • Gustav Müller
  • Emil Düby
  • Oskar Schneeberger
Free Democratic Party 3
Liberal Party 1Fritz Burren
Bern 84 Free Democratic Party 4
Bern 94 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Friedrich Buri
  • Michael Hofer
Social Democratic Party 2
  • August Rikli
  • Hermann Brand
Bern 105 Free Democratic Party 4
Social Democratic Party 1Arnold Knellwolf
Bern 113 Social Democratic Party 2
  • Émile Ryser
  • Achille Grospierre
Conservative People's Party 1Xavier Jobin
Bern 123 Conservative People's Party 2
  • Joseph Choquard
  • Ernest Daucourt
Social Democratic Party 1Maurice Goetschel
Lucerne 133 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Gustav Schaller
  • Peter Knüsel
  • Ferdinand Steiner
Lucerne 142 Conservative People's Party 3
  • Eduard Häfliger
  • Josef Anton Balmer
Lucerne 153 Conservative People's Party 3
  • Heinrich Walther
  • Dominik Fellmann
  • Franz Moser-Schär
Uri 161 Free Democratic Party 1Martin Gamma
Schwyz 173 Conservative People's Party 2
  • Anton von Hettlingen
  • Josef Anton Ferdinand Büeler
Free Democratic Party 1Martin Steinegger
Obwalden 181 Conservative People's Party 1Peter Anton Ming
Nidwalden 191 Conservative People's Party 1Hans von Matt Jr.
Glarus 202 Democratic Group 1Eduard Blumer
Free Democratic Party 1Heinrich Jenny
Zug 211 Free Democratic Party 1Hermann Stadlin
Fribourg 222 Conservative People's Party 1Eugène Descheneaux
Free Democratic Party 1Hermann Liechti
Fribourg 235 Conservative People's Party 4
Free Democratic Party 1A.-F.-L. Cailler
Solothurn 246 Conservative People's Party 2
  • Siegfried Hartmann
  • August Kurer
Free Democratic Party 2
Social Democratic Party 2
  • Hans Affolter
  • Jacques Schmid
Basel-Stadt 257 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Christian Rothenberger
  • Emil Göttisheim
Liberal Party 1 Paul Speiser
Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents 1Rudolf Gelpke
Democratic Group 1Karl-Oskar Schär
Social Democratic Party 1Johannes Frei
Conservative People's Party 1Ernst Feigenwinter
Basel-Landschaft 264 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Gustav Adolf Seiler
  • Hermann Straumann
  • Albert Grieder
Independent1Heinrich Strub
Schaffhausen 272 Free Democratic Party 2
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 283 Free Democratic Party 2
Social Democratic Party 1Howard Eugster
Appenzell Innerhoden 291 Conservative People's Party 1Adolf Steuble
St. Gallen 304 Free Democratic Party 3
Democratic Group 1J. A. Scherrer-Füllemann
St. Gallen 314 Conservative People's Party 2
  • Carl Zurburg
  • Johann Baptist Eisenring
Democratic Group 1Heinrich Otto Weber
Free Democratic Party 1Ernst Schmidheiny
St. Gallen 323 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Gallus Schwendener
  • Ernst Wagner
  • Robert Forrer
St. Gallen 332 Conservative People's Party 2
  • Emil Grünenfelder
  • Johann Baptist Schubiger
St. Gallen 342 Conservative People's Party 2
  • Othmar Staub
  • Thomas Holenstein Sr.
Grisons 356 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Eduard Walser
  • Johann Anton Caflisch
  • Paul Raschein Sr.
  • Andrea Vital
Conservative People's Party 2
  • Alois Steinhauser
  • Johann Schmid
Aargau 363 Free Democratic Party 3
Aargau 374 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Hans Siegrist
  • Heinrich Eugen Abt]]
  • Emil Keller
  • Arthur Widmer
Aargau 381 Conservative People's Party 1Jakob Nietlispach
Aargau 394 Conservative People's Party 2
  • Alfred Wyrsch
  • Franz Xaver Eggspühler
Free Democratic Party 2
  • Gustav Adolf Ursprung
  • Joseph Jäger
Thurgau 407 Free Democratic Party 4
Democratic Group 1Emil Hofmann
Conservative People's Party 1Alfons von Streng
Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents 1Carl Eigenmann
Ticino 414 Free Democratic Party 3
Conservative People's Party 1Antonio Luigi Riva
Ticino 424 Free Democratic Party 2
Conservative People's Party 2
  • Giuseppe Cattori
  • Alfonso Chicherio
Vaud 438 Free Democratic Party 5
  • Paul Maillefer
  • Émile Gaudard
  • Henri Chenaux
  • Henri Bersier
  • Gustave Bettex
Liberal Party 3
  • Alois de Meuron
  • Robert Cossy
  • Max de Cérenville
Vaud 445 Free Democratic Party 4
Liberal Party 1Armand Piguet
Vaud 453 Free Democratic Party 2
  • John-Henri Mermoud
  • Alfred Jaton
Liberal Party 1Jean Yersin
Valais 464 Conservative People's Party 4
Valais 472 Conservative People's Party 1Jules Tissières
Free Democratic Party 1Eugène de Lavallaz
Neuchâtel 487 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Paul-Ernest Mosimann
  • Auguste Leuba
  • Henri Calame
Liberal Party 2
  • Eugène Bonhôte
  • Otto de Dardel
Social Democratic Party 2
  • Charles Naine
  • Ernest-Paul Graber
Geneva 498 Liberal Party 3
  • Horace Micheli
  • Albert-Édouard Maunoir
  • Frédéric-Jules de Rabours
Free Democratic Party 3
Social Democratic Party 1Jean Sigg
Conservative People's Party 1Firmin Ody
Source: Gruner [4]

References

  1. ↑ Elections to the National Council 1848–1917: Distribution of seats by party or political orientation Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine BFS
  2. 1 2 Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1886 ISBN   9783832956097
  3. ↑ Thomas T Mackie & Richard Rose (1991) The International Almanac of Electoral History, Macmillan
  4. ↑ Gruner, Erich. Die Wahlen in den Schweizerischen Nationalrat 1848–1919. Vol. 3.
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