August 1867 North German federal election

August 1867 North German federal election

←  Feb 1867 31 August 1867 (1867-08-31) 1868  →
All 297 seats in the Reichstag 149 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   DKP DRP Leader Rudolf von Bennigsen Eduard Georg von Bethusy-Huc (nominal) Party NlP Conservatives DRP Leader since 1867 1866 Last election 20.19%, 78 seats 16.86%, 63 seats 9.33%, 39 seats Seats won 80 66 36 Seat change 2 3 3 Popular vote 414,043 480,775 205,792 Percentage 18.02% 20.92% 8.95% Swing 2.17 pp 4.06 pp 0.38 pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Polen Leader Benedict Waldeck Georg von Vincke Party DFP Old Liberals Polish Party Leader since 1867 1858 Last election 7.40%, 19 seats 7.12%, 31 seats 5.61%, 13 seats Seats won 32 15 11 Seat change 13 16 2 Popular vote 290,500 107,758 169,006 Percentage 12.64% 4.69% 7.35% Swing 5.24 pp 2.43 pp 1.70 pp
Map of results (by constituencies)
President of the Reichstag before election Eduard von Simson Independent President of the Reichstag after election Eduard von Simson Independent

Elections to the Reichstag of the North German Confederation were held on 31 August 1867, ^[1] with run-off elections during the following weeks. The National Liberal Party continued to serve as the largest party, winning 81 seats. These were the first regular and last elections during the North German Confederation. In July 1870 the Reichstag members decided not to hold new elections during the Franco-Prussian War, in spite of the three-year period.

Electoral system

The North German Confederation were divided into 297 single-member electoral constituencies, of which 236 were in Prussia. All men over the age of 25 and not in receipt of public assistance were eligible to vote.

Results

6 32 32 15 1 11 80 8 4 36 6 66
Party		Votes	%	+/–	Seats	+/–
	Conservative Party	480,775	20.92	+4.06	66	+3
	National Liberal Party	414,043	18.02	−2.17	80	+2
	Progress Party	290,500	12.64	+5.24	32	+13
	Free Conservative Party	205,792	8.95	−0.38	36	−3
	Polish Party	169,006	7.35	+1.70	11	−2
	Independent Conservatives	166,259	7.23	−2.04	6	−3
	Other Liberals	152,219	6.62	−3.54	0	±0
	Independent Liberals	135,256	5.89	+0.78	32	+9
	Old Liberals	107,758	4.69	−2.43	15	−16
	Clericals	48,136	2.09	−0.25	8	−1
	German-Hanoverian Party	28,581	1.24	−1.75	4	−5
	Danish Party	25,398	1.11	+0.37	1	−1
	General German Workers' Association	25,391	1.10	+0.52	2	+2
	Saxon People's Party	12,590	0.55	−0.06	3	+1
	Lassallean General German Workers' Association	2,521	0.11	+0.03	1	+1
Others		33,559	1.46	+0.41	0	±0
Unknown		495	0.02	−0.55	0	±0
Total		2,298,279	100.00	–	297	0
Source: Wahlen in Deutschland

References

1. Jonathan Steinberg (2011) Bismarck: A Life, Oxford University Press