1946 Soviet occupation zone state elections

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1946 Soviet occupation zone state elections
Flag of the Soviet Union (1936-1955).svg
20 October 1946 1950  
Registered11,454,837
Turnout91.0%
 Majority partyMinority partyThird party
  Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands Logo.svg CDU DDR logo transparent.png LDPD logo transparent.png
Party SED CDU LDP
Seats won249133121
Popular vote4,685,3042,411,0332,418,841
Percentage47.57%24.48%24.56%

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
  VdgB logo.png Logo Kulturbund der DDR.png
Party VdgB Kulturbund Frauenausschüsse
Seats won1510
Popular vote296,11119,14818,340
Percentage3.01%0.19%0.19%

1946 Soviet occupation zone state elections.svg
SED Electoral advertisement in East Berlin. Bundesarchiv Bild 183-S74916, Berlin, Behrenstrasse, SED-Wahlpropagenda.jpg
SED Electoral advertisement in East Berlin.

State elections were held in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany on 20 October 1946 to elect the state legislatures of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. They were the only elections held in the future territory of East Germany before the establishment of the German Democratic Republic in 1949, and the only free and fair elections in that part of Germany between 1932 and the Peaceful Revolution.

Contents

The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), which was formed by the forced merger of the Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party in the Soviet occupation zone, became the largest party but achieved an absolute majority in only one state. The SED was created in view of the holding of elections in the Soviet zone, as a first step for future political reforms.

In addition to the SED, three other parties participated; the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Peasants Mutual Aid Association (VdgB). Two other organizations participated but only in Saxony. The SED landslide victory was seen by Soviet authorities as a justification for the development of socialism in their zone. The occupation authorities quickly dropped all pretense of liberal democracy, and cajoled the other parties into forming a "coalition" in which only the SED had any real power. By the time of the elections for a constitutional assembly in 1949, voters only had the option of approving or rejecting a "unity list" put forward by the SED-dominated Democratic Bloc.

The next state elections were held in 1950, after the establishment of the German Democratic Republic.

Results

Overall

PartyVotes%Seats
Socialist Unity Party of Germany 4,685,30447.57249
Liberal Democratic Party of Germany 2,418,84124.56121
Christian Democratic Union 2,411,03324.48133
Peasants Mutual Aid Association 296,1113.0115
Cultural Association 19,1480.191
Women's Committees18,3400.190
Total9,848,777100.00519
Valid votes9,848,77794.54
Invalid/blank votes569,2795.46
Total votes10,418,056100.00
Registered voters/turnout11,449,62090.99

Brandenburg

PartyVotes%Seats
Socialist Unity Party of Germany 634,78643.5244
Christian Democratic Union 442,20630.3231
Liberal Democratic Party of Germany 298,31120.4520
Peasants Mutual Aid Association 83,2715.715
Total1,458,574100.00100
Valid votes1,458,57496.21
Invalid/blank votes57,4133.79
Total votes1,515,987100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,655,98091.55
Source: Wahlen in Deutschland

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

PartyVotes%Seats
Socialist Unity Party of Germany 551,59449.5345
Christian Democratic Union 379,82934.1031
Liberal Democratic Party of Germany 138,66212.4511
Peasants Mutual Aid Association 43,6633.923
Total1,113,748100.0090
Valid votes1,113,74894.53
Invalid/blank votes64,4635.47
Total votes1,178,211100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,308,72790.03
Source: Wahlen in Deutschland

Saxony

PartyVotes%Seats
Socialist Unity Party of Germany 1,616,06849.1159
Liberal Democratic Party of Germany 813,22424.7130
Christian Democratic Union 766,85923.3028
Peasants Mutual Aid Association 57,3561.742
Cultural Association 19,1480.581
Women's Committees18,3400.560
Total3,290,995100.00120
Valid votes3,290,99593.54
Invalid/blank votes227,1136.46
Total votes3,518,108100.00
Registered voters/turnout3,803,41692.50
Source: Wahlen in Deutschland

Saxony-Anhalt

PartyVotes%Seats
Socialist Unity Party of Germany 1,063,88945.7951
Liberal Democratic Party of Germany 695,68529.9432
Christian Democratic Union 507,39721.8424
Peasants Mutual Aid Association 56,6302.442
Total2,323,601100.00109
Valid votes2,323,60194.15
Invalid/blank votes144,3635.85
Total votes2,467,964100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,695,41691.56
Source: Wahlen in Deutschland

Thuringia

PartyVotes%Seats
Socialist Unity Party of Germany 818,96749.2850
Liberal Democratic Party of Germany 472,95928.4628
Christian Democratic Union 314,74218.9419
Peasants Mutual Aid Association 55,1913.323
Total1,661,859100.00100
Valid votes1,661,85995.63
Invalid/blank votes75,9274.37
Total votes1,737,786100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,986,08187.50
Source: Wahlen in Deutschland

See also

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