1878 Swiss federal election

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 27 October 1878. The Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council.[1]

The 48 electoral districts

Electoral system edit

The 135 members of the National Council were elected in 48 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 edit

National Council edit

Voter turnout was highest in Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 95.1% and lowest in Schwyz at 26.7%.

 
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Radical Left34.857–6
Catholic Right26.337+4
Liberal Centre23.226+6
Democratic Group9.410–5
Evangelical Right5.15+3
Socialists0.200
Independents1.000
Total1350
Total votes360,542
Registered voters/turnout634,08056.86
Source: BFS (seats)

By constituency edit

Constituency Seats Party Seats
won
Elected members
Zürich 1 5 Liberal Centre 5
  • Melchior Römer
  • Johann Jakob Widmer
  • Alfred Escher
  • Johannes Ryf
  • Johann Kaspar Baumann
Zürich 2 3 Liberal Centre 2
  • Johann Jakob Hasler
  • Heinrich Landis
Democratic Group 1 Johann Jakob Keller
Zürich 3 3 Democratic Group 3
  • Friedrich Salomon Vögelin
  • Johannes Stössel
  • Salomon Bleuler
Zürich 4 3 Democratic Group 3
  • Johannes Moser
  • Friedrich Scheuchzer
  • Johann Jakob Scherer
Bern 5 5 Radical Left 5
  • Jakob Scherz
  • Carl Samuel Zyro
  • Friedrich Seiler
  • Johannes Ritschard
  • Wilhelm Teuscher
Bern 6 4 Radical Left 3
  • Rudolf Rohr
  • Rudolf Brunner
  • Friedrich von Werdt
Evangelical Right 1 Otto von Büren
Bern 7 4 Radical Left 4
  • Karl Schenk
  • Gottfried Joost
  • Gottlieb Riem
  • Karl Karrer
Bern 8 4 Radical Left 4
  • Johann Bützberger
  • Alexander Bucher
  • Rudolf Leuenberger
  • Albert Friedrich Born
Bern 9 3 Radical Left 3
  • Johannes Schlup
  • Jakob Stämpfli
  • Charles Kuhn
Bern 10 5 Radical Left 3
  • Hippolyte Paulet
  • Niklaus Kaiser
  • Auguste-Adolphe Klaye
Evangelical Right 2
  • Abraham Boivin
  • Albert Morel
Lucerne 11 2 Liberal Centre 1 Josef Martin Knüsel
Radical Left 1 Josef Vonmatt
Lucerne 12 1 Catholic Right 1 Alois Räber
Lucerne 13 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Josef Erni
  • Vinzenz Fischer
Lucerne 14 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Philipp Anton von Segesser
  • Franz Xaver Beck
Uri 15 1 Catholic Right 1 Josef Arnold
Schwyz 16 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Ambros Eberle
  • Fridolin Holdener
Obwalden 17 1 Catholic Right 1 Nicolaus Hermann
Nidwalden 18 1 Catholic Right 1 Robert Durrer
Glarus 19 2 Radical Left 1 Niklaus Tschudi
Liberal Centre 1 Esajas Zweifel
Zug 20 1 Catholic Right 1 Niklaus Moos
Fribourg 21 3 Catholic Right 3
  • Louis de Weck
  • Laurent Chaney
  • Arthur Techtermann
Fribourg 22 3 Catholic Right 3
  • Joseph Jaquet
  • Louis Grand
  • Louis de Wuilleret
Solothurn 23 4 Radical Left 3
  • Simon Kaiser
  • Leo Weber
  • Hermann Dietler
Liberal Centre 1 Bernhard Hammer
Basel-Stadt 24 2 Radical Left 1 Karl Burckhardt-Iselin
Liberal Centre 1 Johann Rudolf Geigy-Merian
Basel-Landschaft 25 3 Radical Left 3
  • Jakob Bernhard Graf
  • Gédéon Thommen
  • Emil Frey
Schaffhausen 26 2 Democratic Group 1 Wilhelm Joos
Radical Left 1 Robert Grieshaber
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 27 2 Radical Left 1 Johann Fässler
Liberal Centre 1 Daniel Hofstetter
Appenzell Innerhoden 28 1 Catholic Right 1 Alois Broger
St. Gallen 29 4 Liberal Centre 2
  • Arnold Otto Aepli
  • Thomas Thoma
Catholic Right 1 Johann Gebhard Lutz
Evangelical Right 1 Carl von Gonzenbach
St. Gallen 30 3 Liberal Centre 1 Rudolf Hilty
Catholic Right 1 Wilhelm Good
Radical Left 1 Johann Baptist Gaudy
St. Gallen 31 3 Catholic Right 2
  • Johann Fridolin Müller
  • Johann Joseph Keel
Liberal Centre 1 Johann Rudolf Moser
Grisons 32 2 Evangelical Right 1 Hermann J. von Sprecher
Radical Left 1 Johann Gaudenz von Salis
Grisons 33 2 Radical Left 1 Anton Steinhauser
Catholic Right 1 Johann R. von Toggenburg
Grisons 34 1 Liberal Centre 1 Andreas Rudolf von Planta
Aargau 35 3 Liberal Centre 2
  • Carl Feer-Herzog
  • Johann Haberstich
Radical Left 1 Arnold Künzli
Aargau 36 4 Radical Left 3
  • Peter Suter
  • Robert Straub
  • Hans Riniker
Liberal Centre 1 Johann Rohr
Aargau 37 3 Catholic Right 2
  • Karl von Schmid
  • Emil Albert Baldinger
Liberal Centre 1 Emil Welti
Thurgau 38 5 Democratic Group 3
  • Severin Stoffel
  • Jakob Albert Scherb
  • Fridolin Anderwert
Radical Left 1 Friedrich Heinrich Häberlin
Liberal Centre 1 Johann Messmer
Ticino 39 3 Catholic Right 3
  • Massimiliano Magatti
  • Bernardino Lurati
  • Erennio Spinelli
Ticino 40 3 Catholic Right 3
  • Michele Pedrazzini
  • Carlo Vonmentlen
  • Agostino Gatti
Vaud 41 4 Liberal Centre 2
  • Charles Boiceau
  • Aymon de Gingins
Radical Left 2
  • Louis Ruchonnet
  • Antoine Vessaz
Vaud 42 4 Radical Left 4
  • Paul Wulliémoz
  • Georges-Louis Contesse
  • Paul André
  • Frédéric Criblet
Vaud 43 3 Radical Left 3
  • Louis-Henri Delarageaz
  • Charles Baud
  • Théodore du Plessis
Valais 44 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Hans Anton von Roten
  • Victor de Chastonay
Valais 45 1 Catholic Right 1 Ferdinand de Montheys
Valais 46 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Charles de Werra
  • Fidèle Joris
Neuchâtel 47 5 Radical Left 5
  • Jules Philippin
  • Louis-Alexandre Martin
  • Arnold Grosjean
  • Charles-Alfred Petitpierre
  • Louis Constant Lambelet
Geneva 48 4 Liberal Centre 4
  • Arthur Chenevière
  • Gustave-Jules Pictet
  • François-Isaac Mayor
  • Carl Vogt
Source: Gruner[3]

Council of States edit

PartySeats+/–
Catholic Right17+1
Radical Left110
Liberal Centre11+2
Democratic Left2–2
Evangelical Right00
Independents2–1
Vacant10
Total440
Source: The Federal Assembly

References edit

  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. ^ a b Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1886 ISBN 9783832956097
  3. ^ Gruner, Erich. Die Wahlen in den Schweizerischen Nationalrat 1848–1919. Vol. 3.