1902 Swiss federal election

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 26 October 1902. The Free Democratic Party retained its majority in the National Council.[1]

The 49 electoral districts

Electoral system

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The 167 members of the National Council were elected in 49 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]

The elections were held under the Federal law concerning the constituencies for the elections of National Council members passed on 4 June 1902, which reduced the number of constituencies from 52 to 49. Following the 1900 census the number of seats was increased from 147 to 167; Zürich gained five seats, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Geneva, St. Gallen and Vaud all gained two seats, whilst Neuchâtel, Solothurn, Ticino, Thurgau and Valais all gained one. A referendum on introducing proportional representation and direct elections for the Federal Council had been held in 1900, but both proposals were rejected by voters.

Results

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Voter turnout was highest in Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 85.8% and lowest in Obwalden at 21.4%.

 
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Free Democratic Party205,23550.39100+16
Catholic People's Party94,03123.0935+3
Social Democratic Party51,33812.607+3
Liberal Centre34,9288.58200
Democratic Group15,0533.704–3
Bern People's Party6,7371.651New
Others00
Total407,322100.00167+20
Valid votes407,32294.36
Invalid/blank votes24,3485.64
Total votes431,670100.00
Registered voters/turnout760,25256.78
Source: Mackie & Rose,[3] BFS (seats)

By constituency

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Constituency Seats Party Seats
won
Elected members
Zürich 1 9 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Emil Zürcher
  • Alfred Frey
  • Johann Jakob Amsler
  • Albert Studler
Liberal Centre 2
  • Hans Konrad Pestalozzi
  • Ulrich Meister Jr.
Social Democratic Party 2
  • Jakob Vogelsanger
  • Herman Greulich
Democratic Group 1 Friedrich Fritschi
Zürich 2 5 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Heinrich Hess
  • Johann Rudolf Amsler
  • Samuel Wanner
Liberal Centre 2
  • Johann Jakob Abegg
  • Heinrich Berchtold
Zürich 3 5 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Rudolf Geilinger
  • Emil Stadler Sr.
  • Albert Kündig
  • Eduard Sulzer
Social Democratic Party 1 Friedrich Studer
Zürich 4 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Johann Konrad Hörni
  • Jakob Walder
  • Jakob Heinrich Hauser
Bern 5 5 Free Democratic Party 5
  • Arnold Gottlieb Bühler
  • Matthäus Zurbuchen
  • Johann Jakob Rebmann
  • Johann Friedrich Michel
  • Emil Lohner
Bern 6 6 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Johann Hirter
  • Johann Jenny
  • Friedrich Bürgi
  • Eugen Huber
Liberal Centre 2
  • Edmund von Steiger
  • Ernst Wyss
Bern 7 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Fritz Zumstein
  • Adolf Müller
  • Fritz Bühlmann
  • Johann Jakob Schär
Bern 8 4 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Hans Dinkelmann
  • Michael Hofer
  • Arnold Gugelmann
Bern People's Party 1 Ulrich Dürrenmatt
Bern 9 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Eduard Bähler
  • Eduard Will
  • Johannes Zimmermann
  • Jakob Freiburghaus
Bern 10 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Virgile Rossel
  • Albert Gobat
  • Albert Locher
Bern 11 3 Catholic Right 2
  • Joseph Choquard
  • Ernest Daucourt
Free Democratic Party 1 Louis Joliat
Lucerne 12 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Peter Knüsel
  • Hermann Heller
  • Franz Bucher
Lucerne 13 2 Catholic Right 3
  • Candid Hochstrasser
  • Theodor Schmid
Lucerne 14 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Josef Anton Schobinger
  • Dominik Fellmann
Uri 15 1 Catholic Right 1 Franz Schmid
Schwyz 16 3 Catholic Right 3
  • Josef Anton Ferdinand Büeler
  • Vital Schwander Sr.
  • Nikolaus Benziger
Obwalden 17 1 Catholic Right 1 Peter Anton Ming
Nidwalden 18 1 Catholic Right 1 Karl Niederberger
Glarus 19 2 Democratic Group 1 Eduard Blumer
Free Democratic Party 1 Rudolf Gallati
Zug 20 1 Free Democratic Party 1 Klemens Iten
Fribourg 21 2 Catholic Right 1 Louis de Diesbach
Free Democratic Party 1 Constant Dinichert
Fribourg 22 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Aloys Bossy
  • Vincent Gottofrey
Fribourg 23 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Alphonse Théraulaz
  • Eugène Grand
Solothurn 24 5 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Jakob Zimmermann
  • Albert Brosi
  • Wilhelm Vigier
  • Eduard Bally
Catholic Right 1 Franz Josef Hänggi
Basel-Stadt 25 6 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Heinrich David
  • Johann Emil Müry
  • Otto Zoller
Liberal Centre 2
  • Isaak Iselin-Sarasin
  • Paul Speiser
Social Democratic Party 1 Alfred Brüstlein
Basel-Landschaft 26 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Jakob Buser
  • Johannes Suter
Bauern- und Arbeiterbund 1 Stephan Gschwind
Schaffhausen 27 2 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Robert Grieshaber
  • Carl Spahn
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 28 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Arthur Eugster
  • Johann Jakob Sonderegger
  • Johann Konrad Eisenhut
Appenzell Innerhoden 29 1 Liberal Centre 1 Karl Justin Sonderegger
St. Gallen 30 3 Free Democratic Party 1 Karl Emil Wild
Democratic Group 1 J. A. Scherrer-Füllemann
Social Democratic Party 1 Paul Brandt
St. Gallen 31 3 Catholic Right 2
  • Johann Gebhard Lutz
  • Johann Jakob Gächter
Social Democratic Party 1 Heinrich Scherrer
St. Gallen 32 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Johann Baptist Schubiger
  • Ferdinand Hidber
St. Gallen 33 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Carl Hilty
  • Ernst Wagner
  • Johann Jakob Bösch
St. Gallen 34 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Othmar Staub
  • Thomas Holenstein Sr.
Grisons 35 5 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Johann Anton Caflisch
  • Andrea Vital
  • Eduard Walser
Liberal Centre 1 Alfred von Planta
Catholic Right 1 Caspar Decurtins
Aargau 36 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Arnold Künzli
  • Johann Rudolf Suter
  • Jakob Lüthy
Aargau 37 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Max Alphonse Erismann
  • Olivier Zschokke
  • Hans Müri
Aargau 38 1 Catholic Right 1 Jakob Nietlispach
Aargau 39 3 Liberal Centre 1 Emil Albert Baldinger
Catholic Right 1 Franz Xaver Eggspühler
Free Democratic Party 1 Josef Jäger
Thurgau 40 6 Free Democratic Party 5
  • Carl Eigenmann
  • Johann Konrad Egloff Jr.
  • Karl Alfred Fehr
  • Adolf Germann
  • Jakob Müller
Democratic Group 1 Emil Hofmann
Ticino 41 4 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Achille Borella
  • Emilio Censi
  • Antonio Soldini
Catholic Right 1 Giovanni Lurati
Ticino 42 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Alfredo Pioda
  • Giuseppe Stoffel
Catholic Right 1 Giuseppe Motta
Vaud 43 7 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Isaac Oyex
  • Alphonse Dubuis
  • Émile Gaudard
  • Charles-Eugène Fonjallaz
Liberal Centre 3
  • Alois de Meuron
  • Édouard Secretan
  • Émile Vuichoud
Vaud 44 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Camille Decoppet
  • Ernest Rubattel
  • Jean Cavat
  • Jules Roulet
Vaud 45 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Juste Lagier
  • Adrien Thélin
Liberal Centre 1 Louis-Charles Delarageaz
Valais 46 4 Catholic Right 4
  • Gustav Loretan
  • Joseph Kuntschen Sr.
  • Raymond Evéquoz
  • Alfred Perrig
Valais 47 2 Free Democratic Party 1 Camille Défayes
Catholic Right 1 Henri Bioley
Neuchâtel 48 6 Free Democratic Party 5
  • Louis-Alexandre Martin
  • Paul-Ernest Mosimann
  • Jules-Albert Piguet
  • Louis Perrier
  • Frédéric Soguel
Liberal Centre 1 Jules Calame
Geneva 49 7 Liberal Centre 4
  • Gustave Ador
  • Édouard Odier
  • Marc-Joseph Bonnet
  • Jacques Rutty
Free Democratic Party 2
  • Alfred Vincent
  • Henri Fazy
Catholic Right 1 Théodore Fontana
Source: Gruner[4]

References

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  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. ^ Thomas T Mackie & Richard Rose (1991) The International Almanac of Electoral History, Macmillan
  4. ^ Gruner, Erich. Die Wahlen in den Schweizerischen Nationalrat 1848–1919. Vol. 3.