1917 Swiss federal election

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 28 October 1917. The Free Democratic Party retained its majority in the National Council.[1] They were the last elections held under the majoritarian system; following a referendum in 1918 in which two-thirds of voters voted for the introduction of proportional representation, the electoral system was changed and early elections held in 1919.

The 49 electoral districts

Electoral system

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The 189 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]

Results

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Voter turnout was highest in Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 86.8% and lowest in Uri at 23.4%.

 
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Free Democratic Party210,32340.84103–9
Social Democratic Party158,45030.7720+2
Conservative People's Party84,78416.4642+5
Liberal Democratic Party25,1884.8912–4
Democratic Group16,8183.277+3
Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents19,4593.784+3
Others1+1
Total515,022100.001890
Valid votes515,02294.04
Invalid/blank votes32,6305.96
Total votes547,652100.00
Registered voters/turnout915,55259.82
Source: Mackie & Rose,[3] BFS (seats)

By constituency

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Constituency Seats Party Seats
won
Elected members
Zürich 1 7 Free Democratic Party 7
  • Emil Zürcher
  • Alfred Frey
  • Albert Meyer
  • Jakob Lutz
  • Friedrich Fritschi
  • Robert Schmid
  • John Syz
Zürich 2 5 Social Democratic Party 5
  • Herman Greulich
  • August Huggler
  • Anton Rimathé
  • Robert Grimm
  • Fritz Platten
Zürich 3 5 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Heinrich Hess
  • Theodor Odinga
  • Karl August Koller
  • Emil Rellstab
Liberal Party 1 Johann Rudolf Amsler
Zürich 4 5 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Hans Sträuli
  • Carl Jakob Sulzer
  • Carl Bertschinger
  • Emil Hardmeier
Social Democratic Party 1 Friedrich Studer
Zürich 5 3 Democratic Group 2
  • David Ringger
  • Johann Konrad Hörni
Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents 1 Friedrich Bopp
Bern 6 6 Free Democratic Party 6
  • Robert Stucki
  • Emil Lohner
  • Arnold Gottlieb Bühler
  • Hermann Schüpbach
  • Johann Jakob Rebmann
  • Johann Friedrich Michel
Bern 7 7 Social Democratic Party 3
  • Gustav Müller
  • Emil Düby
  • Oskar Schneeberger
Free Democratic Party 3
  • Felix Koch
  • Johann Jenny
  • Johann Hirter
Liberal Party 1 Fritz Burren
Bern 8 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Johann Jakob Schär
  • Fritz Bühlmann
  • Friedrich Minder
  • Carl Moser
Bern 9 4 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Friedrich Buri
  • Michael Hofer
Social Democratic Party 2
  • August Rikli
  • Hermann Brand
Bern 10 5 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Alfred Moll
  • Karl Scheurer
  • Jakob Freiburghaus
  • Eduard Will
Social Democratic Party 1 Arnold Knellwolf
Bern 11 3 Social Democratic Party 2
  • Émile Ryser
  • Achille Grospierre
Conservative People's Party 1 Xavier Jobin
Bern 12 3 Conservative People's Party 2
  • Joseph Choquard
  • Ernest Daucourt
Social Democratic Party 1 Maurice Goetschel
Lucerne 13 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Gustav Schaller
  • Peter Knüsel
  • Ferdinand Steiner
Lucerne 14 2 Conservative People's Party 3
  • Eduard Häfliger
  • Josef Anton Balmer
Lucerne 15 3 Conservative People's Party 3
  • Heinrich Walther
  • Dominik Fellmann
  • Franz Moser-Schär
Uri 16 1 Free Democratic Party 1 Martin Gamma
Schwyz 17 3 Conservative People's Party 2
  • Anton von Hettlingen
  • Josef Anton Ferdinand Büeler
Free Democratic Party 1 Martin Steinegger
Obwalden 18 1 Conservative People's Party 1 Peter Anton Ming
Nidwalden 19 1 Conservative People's Party 1 Hans von Matt Jr.
Glarus 20 2 Democratic Group 1 Eduard Blumer
Free Democratic Party 1 Heinrich Jenny
Zug 21 1 Free Democratic Party 1 Hermann Stadlin
Fribourg 22 2 Conservative People's Party 1 Eugène Descheneaux
Free Democratic Party 1 Hermann Liechti
Fribourg 23 5 Conservative People's Party 4
  • Jean-Marie Musy
  • Franz Boschung
  • Charles de Wuilleret
  • Eugène Grand
Free Democratic Party 1 A.-F.-L. Cailler
Solothurn 24 6 Conservative People's Party 2
  • Siegfried Hartmann
  • August Kurer
Free Democratic Party 2
  • Hermann Obrecht
  • Friedrich Stuber
Social Democratic Party 2
  • Hans Affolter
  • Jacques Schmid
Basel-Stadt 25 7 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Christian Rothenberger
  • Emil Göttisheim
Liberal Party 1 Paul Speiser
Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents 1 Rudolf Gelpke
Democratic Group 1 Karl-Oskar Schär
Social Democratic Party 1 Johannes Frei
Conservative People's Party 1 Ernst Feigenwinter
Basel-Landschaft 26 4 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Gustav Adolf Seiler
  • Hermann Straumann
  • Albert Grieder
Independent 1 Heinrich Strub
Schaffhausen 27 2 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Carl Spahn
  • Robert Grieshaber
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 28 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Arthur Eugster
  • Johannes Eisenhut
Social Democratic Party 1 Howard Eugster
Appenzell Innerhoden 29 1 Conservative People's Party 1 Adolf Steuble
St. Gallen 30 4 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Karl Emil Wild
  • Eduard Scherrer
  • Albert Mächler
Democratic Group 1 J. A. Scherrer-Füllemann
St. Gallen 31 4 Conservative People's Party 2
  • Carl Zurburg
  • Johann Baptist Eisenring
Democratic Group 1 Heinrich Otto Weber
Free Democratic Party 1 Ernst Schmidheiny
St. Gallen 32 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Gallus Schwendener
  • Ernst Wagner
  • Robert Forrer
St. Gallen 33 2 Conservative People's Party 2
  • Emil Grünenfelder
  • Johann Baptist Schubiger
St. Gallen 34 2 Conservative People's Party 2
  • Othmar Staub
  • Thomas Holenstein Sr.
Grisons 35 6 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Eduard Walser
  • Johann Anton Caflisch
  • Paul Raschein Sr.
  • Andrea Vital
Conservative People's Party 2
  • Alois Steinhauser
  • Johann Schmid
Aargau 36 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Otto Hunziker
  • Johann Rudolf Suter
  • Alwin Weber
Aargau 37 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Hans Siegrist
  • Heinrich Eugen Abt
  • Emil Keller
  • Arthur Widmer
Aargau 38 1 Conservative People's Party 1 Jakob Nietlispach
Aargau 39 4 Conservative People's Party 2
  • Alfred Wyrsch
  • Franz Xaver Eggspühler
Free Democratic Party 2
  • Gustav Adolf Ursprung
  • Joseph Jäger
Thurgau 40 7 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Oskar Ullmann
  • Heinrich Häberlin
  • Jakob Zingg
  • Jakob Müller
Democratic Group 1 Emil Hofmann
Conservative People's Party 1 Alfons von Streng
Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents 1 Carl Eigenmann
Ticino 41 4 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Emilio Bossi
  • Achille Borella
  • Francesco Vassalli
Conservative People's Party 1 Antonio Luigi Riva
Ticino 42 4 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Brenno Bertoni
  • Evaristo Garbani-Nerini
Conservative People's Party 2
  • Giuseppe Cattori
  • Alfonso Chicherio
Vaud 43 8 Free Democratic Party 5
  • Paul Maillefer
  • Émile Gaudard
  • Henri Chenaux
  • Henri Bersier
  • Gustave Bettex
Liberal Party 3
  • Alois de Meuron
  • Robert Cossy
  • Max de Cérenville
Vaud 44 5 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Ernest Chuard
  • Henri Grobet
  • Louis Reymond
  • Fritz Bosset
Liberal Party 1 Armand Piguet
Vaud 45 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • John-Henri Mermoud
  • Alfred Jaton
Liberal Party 1 Jean Yersin
Valais 46 4 Conservative People's Party 4
  • Joseph Kuntschen Sr.
  • Alexander Seiler
  • Raymond Evéquoz
  • Victor Petrig
Valais 47 2 Conservative People's Party 1 Jules Tissières
Free Democratic Party 1 Eugène de Lavallaz
Neuchâtel 48 7 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Paul-Ernest Mosimann
  • Auguste Leuba
  • Henri Calame
Liberal Party 2
  • Eugène Bonhôte
  • Otto de Dardel
Social Democratic Party 2
  • Charles Naine
  • Ernest-Paul Graber
Geneva 49 8 Liberal Party 3
  • Horace Micheli
  • Albert-Édouard Maunoir
  • Frédéric-Jules de Rabours
Free Democratic Party 3
  • Henri Fazy
  • Marc-Ernest Peter
  • Jean-Marc Rochaix
Social Democratic Party 1 Jean Sigg
Conservative People's Party 1 Firmin Ody
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.