1962 Soviet Union legislative election

Last updated
1962 Soviet Union legislative election
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg
  1958 18 March 1962 1966  

All 1,443 seats in the Supreme Soviet
 First partySecond party
  Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B0628-0015-035, Nikita S. Chruschtschow.jpg
Leader Nikita Khrushchev
Party CPSU Independent
Leader since13 March 1953
Seats before1048330
Seats won1094349
Seat changeIncrease2.svg46Increase2.svg19
Percentage75.8%24.2%

Chairman of the Council of Ministers before election

Nikita Khrushchev
CPSU

Elected Chairman of the Council of Ministers

Nikita Khrushchev
CPSU

Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 18 March 1962. [1]

Contents

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 one 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

Soviet Union Soviet of the Union 1962.svg
Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
BKB Communist Party of the Soviet Union 139,210,43199.47604+41
Independents187+12
Against746,5630.53
Total139,956,994100.00791+53
Valid votes139,956,994100.00
Invalid/blank votes8150.00
Total votes139,957,809100.00
Registered voters/turnout140,022,35999.95
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Soviet of Nationalities

Soviet Union Soviet of Nationalities 1962.svg
Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
BKB Communist Party of the Soviet Union 139,391,45599.60490+5
Independents162+7
Against565,6480.40
Total139,957,103100.00652+12
Valid votes139,957,103100.00
Invalid/blank votes7060.00
Total votes139,957,809100.00
Registered voters/turnout140,022,35999.95
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Related Research Articles

<i>Demokratizatsiya</i> (Soviet Union) 1987 political slogan from Mikhail Gorbachev

Demokratizatsiya was a slogan introduced by CPSU General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in January 1987 calling for the infusion of "democratic" elements into the Soviet Union's single-party government. Gorbachev's Demokratizatsiya meant the introduction of multi-candidate—though not multi-party—elections for local Communist Party (CPSU) officials and Soviets. In this way, he hoped to rejuvenate the party with reform-minded personnel who would carry out his institutional and policy reforms. The CPSU would retain sole custody of the ballot box.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1993 Russian legislative election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Russia on 12 December 1993. They were the first parliamentary elections in post-Soviet Russia and the only time to the Federation Council, with future members appointed by provincial legislatures and governors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990 Russian Supreme Soviet election</span>

Legislative elections were held in the Russian SFSR in March 1990 as part of the regional elections across the Soviet Union. The first round was held on 4 March, and the second round on 14, 17 and 18 March. Members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) won 920 of the 1,068 seats, although several were supporters of the Democratic Russia movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in the Soviet Union</span> Overview of the electoral system of the Soviet Union

The electoral system of the Soviet Union was varying over time, being based upon Chapter XIII of the provisional Fundamental Law of 1922, articles 9 and 10 of the 1924 Constitution and Chapter XI of the 1936 Constitution, with the electoral laws enacted in conformity with those. The Constitution and laws applied to elections in all Soviets, from the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, the Union republics and autonomous republics, through to regions, districts and towns. Voting was claimed to be secret and direct with universal suffrage. However, in practice, between 1936 and 1989, voters could vote against candidates preselected by the Communist Party only by spoiling their ballots, or by voting against the only candidate, whereas votes for the party candidates could be cast simply by submitting a blank ballot. A person would be given a ballot by a clerk, and could immediately walk to the ballot box, and while there were booths in which one could strike the candidates they voted against off the ballot, this was easy to record and was not commonly done by voters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1989 Soviet Union legislative election</span>

Legislative elections were held in the Soviet Union on 26 March 1989 to elect members of the Congress of People's Deputies, with run-offs on 2, 9 and 20 April and 14 and 23 May. They were the first partially free nationwide elections held in the Soviet Union, and would be the last national elections held in that country before its dissolution in 1991. The elections were followed by regional elections in 1990, which would be the last regional elections to take place in the country.

Elections to the eleventh Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 4 March 1984. They were the last in the Soviet Union to be held before Mikhail Gorbachev's policies of perestroika and demokratizatsiya resulted in partially free elections in 1989. They were also the last direct elections to the Supreme Soviet, as in 1989 deputies were elected to the Congress of People's Deputies, who then elected the Supreme Soviet.

Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 14 June 1970.

Elections to the seventh Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 12 June 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1950 Soviet Union legislative election</span>

Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 12 March 1950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1954 Soviet Union legislative election</span> Legislative election in the Soviet Union

Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 14 March 1954.

Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 16 March 1958.

Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 16 June 1974.

Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 4 March 1979. They were the first elections held under the 1977 Soviet constitution, which slightly reformed the composition of the Supreme Soviet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1985 Hungarian parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Hungary on 8 June 1985. The Patriotic People's Front, dominated by the Communist Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party, was the only organisation allowed to contest the election. All prospective candidates had to accept the Front's program in order to be eligible.

Parliamentary elections were held in Romania on 30 November 1952. They were the second held under communist rule, and the first under a constitution adopted that September. They were also the first held after longtime Prime Minister Petru Groza handed the post to Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, who as leader of the communist Romanian Workers' Party (PMR) had been the country's de facto leader since the communists seized full power in 1947.

Parliamentary elections were held in Romania on 3 February 1957. Voters were presented with a single slate of candidates from the People's Democratic Front (FDP), which was dominated by the Romanian Workers Party (PMR). The Front won all 437 seats in the Great National Assembly.

Parliamentary elections were held in Romania on 5 March 1961. Voters were presented with a single list from the People's Democratic Front (FDP), which was dominated by the Romanian Workers Party (PMR). The Front won all 465 seats in the Great National Assembly.

Parliamentary elections were held in Romania on 7 March 1965. Voters were presented with a single list from the People's Democratic Front (FDP), which was dominated by the Romanian Workers Party (PMR). The Front won 465 seats in the Great National Assembly.

Parliamentary elections were held in Romania on 9 March 1975. The Front of Socialist Unity (FUS), dominated by the Romanian Communist Party (PCR) and including other mass organisations, was the only organisation that contested the election. No prospective candidate could run for office without the Front's prior approval. The Front won all 349 seats in the Great National Assembly.

Parliamentary elections were held in Romania on 9 March 1980. The Front of Socialist Unity and Democracy (FDUS), dominated by the Romanian Communist Party (PCR) and including other mass organisations, was the only organisation that contested the election. No prospective candidate could run for office without the Front's prior approval. The Front won all 369 seats in the Great National Assembly.

References

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