1950 East German general election

General elections were held in East Germany on 15 October 1950. They were the first held since the founding of the country on 7 October 1949. There were 466 deputies in the Volkskammer, including 66 from East Berlin who were not directly elected.

1950 East German general election

← 1949 15 October 1950 (1950-10-15) 1954 →

All 466 seats in the Volkskammer
Turnout98.50% (Increase 3.27pp)
  First party
 
Leader Walter Ulbricht
Party SED
Alliance National Front
Seats won 110

Chairman of the Council of Ministers before election

Otto Grotewohl
SED

Chairman of the Council of Ministers after election

Otto Grotewohl
SED

This election set the tone for all elections held in East Germany until the Peaceful Revolution. Voters were presented with a single list from the National Front of Democratic Germany, which in turn was controlled by the Socialist Unity Party. Only one candidate appeared on the ballot; voters simply took the ballot paper and dropped it into the ballot box. Those who wanted to vote against the candidate had to go to a special booth, without any secrecy.[1] Seats were apportioned based on a set quota, not actual vote totals.[2] By ensuring that its candidates dominated the list, the SED effectively predetermined the composition of the Volkskammer.

According to official figures, the National Front list received the approval of 99.6% of voters, with turnout reported to be 98.5%.[3]

Results

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Party or allianceVotes%Seats
National FrontSocialist Unity Party of Germany12,088,74599.71110
Christian Democratic Union67
Liberal Democratic Party of Germany66
Free German Trade Union Federation49
National Democratic Party of Germany35
Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany33
Free German Youth25
Cultural Association of the GDR24
Democratic Women's League of Germany20
Union of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime19
Peasants Mutual Aid Association12
Social Democratic Party (Eastern Bureau)6
Against35,5440.29
Total12,124,289100.00466
Valid votes12,124,28999.87
Invalid/blank votes15,6430.13
Total votes12,139,932100.00
Registered voters/turnout12,325,16898.50
Source: Nohlen & Stöver, Sternberger et al.

References

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  1. ^ Sebetsyen, Victor (2009). Revolution 1989: The Fall of the Soviet Empire. New York City: Pantheon Books. ISBN 978-0-375-42532-5.
  2. ^ Eugene Register-Guard October 29, 1989. p. 5A.
  3. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p779 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
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