1954 Soviet Union legislative election

1954 Soviet Union legislative election

←  1950 14 March 1954 1958  →

Soviet of the Union

All 708 seats in the Soviet of the Union

Party Seats +/– Communist Party 565 −15 Independents 143 +45 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Soviet of Nationalities

All 639 seats in the Soviet of Nationalities

Party Seats +/– Communist Party 485 −34 Independents 154 +35 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. Chairman of the Council of Ministers before Chairman of the Council of Ministers after Georgy Malenkov CPSU Georgy Malenkov CPSU

Stamp marking the 1954 elections

Supreme Soviet elections were held in the Soviet Union on 14 March 1954. ^[1]

Electoral system

Candidates had to be nominated by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) or by a public organisation. ^[2] However, all public organisations were controlled by the party and were subservient to a 1931 law that required them to accept party rule. ^[2] The CPSU itself remained the only legal party in the country. ^[3]

Voters could vote against the CPSU candidate, but could only do so by using polling booths, whereas votes for the party could be cast simply by submitting a blank ballot. ^[2] Turnout was required to be over 50% for the election to be valid. ^[2]

Candidates

CPSU candidates accounted for around three quarters of the nominees, whilst many of the others were members of Komsomol. ^[4]

Results

Soviet of the Union

Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	BKB		Communist Party of the Soviet Union	120,479,249	99.79	565	–15
			Independents			143	+45
Against				247,897	0.21	–	–
Total				120,727,146	100.00	708	+30
Valid votes				120,727,146	100.00
Invalid/blank votes				680	0.00
Total votes				120,727,826	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				120,750,816	99.98
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Soviet of Nationalities

Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	BKB		Communist Party of the Soviet Union	120,539,860	99.84	485	–34
			Independents			154	+35
Against				187,357	0.16	–	–
Total				120,727,217	100.00	639	+1
Valid votes				120,727,217	100.00
Invalid/blank votes				609	0.00
Total votes				120,727,826	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				120,750,816	99.98
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

References

1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1642 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
2. Nohlen & Stöver, p1630
3. Nohlen & Stöver, p1654
4. Nohlen & Stöver, p1631