Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 26 October 1899. The Free Democratic Party retained its majority in the National Council.
Electoral system
The 147 members of the National Council were elected in 52 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. There was one seat for every 20,000 citizens, with seats allocated to cantons in proportion to their population.
Results
Voter turnout was highest in Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 86.4% and lowest in Obwalden at 21.3%.
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Free Democratic Party | 183,216 | 49.69 | 84 | –2 | |
Catholic People's Party | 76,845 | 20.84 | 32 | +2 | |
Liberal Centre | 51,764 | 14.04 | 20 | –3 | |
Social Democratic Party | 35,488 | 9.62 | 4 | +3 | |
Democratic Group | 18,003 | 4.88 | 7 | 0 | |
Others | 3,409 | 0.92 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 368,725 | 100.00 | 147 | 0 | |
Valid votes | 368,725 | 91.78 | |||
Invalid/blank votes | 33,025 | 8.22 | |||
Total votes | 401,750 | 100.00 | |||
Registered voters/turnout | 737,696 | 54.46 | |||
Source: Mackie & Rose, BFS (seats) |
By constituency
Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats won |
Elected members | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zürich 1 | 6 | Free Democratic Party | 3 |
| |
Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |||
Social Democratic Party | 1 | Jakob Vogelsanger | |||
Zürich 2 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 3 |
| |
Free Democratic Party | 1 | Heinrich Hess | |||
Zürich 3 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 3 |
| |
Democratic Group | 1 | Albert Kündig | |||
Zürich 4 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Heinrich Steinemann | |
Free Democratic Party | 1 | Heinrich Kern | |||
Democratic Group | 1 | Johann Konrad Hörni | |||
Bern 5 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 5 |
| |
Bern 6 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 3 |
| |
Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |||
Bern 7 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 4 |
| |
Bern 8 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 4 |
| |
Bern 9 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 4 |
| |
Bern 10 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 |
| |
Bern 11 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Casimir Folletête | |
Free Democratic Party | 1 | Henri Cuenat | |||
Lucerne 12 | 2 | Free Democratic Party | 2 |
| |
Lucerne 13 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 |
| |
Lucerne 14 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
Uri 15 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Schmid | |
Schwyz 16 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 |
| |
Obwalden 17 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Peter Anton Ming | |
Nidwalden 18 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Karl Niederberger | |
Glarus 19 | 2 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Rudolf Gallati | |
Democratic Group | 1 | Eduard Blumer | |||
Zug 20 | 1 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Klemens Iten | |
Fribourg 21 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Henri Schaller | |
Free Democratic Party | 1 | Constant Dinichert | |||
Fribourg 22 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
Fribourg 23 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
Solothurn 24 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 3 |
| |
Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Josef Hänggi | |||
Basel-Stadt 25 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |
Social Democratic Party | 1 | Eugen Wullschleger | |||
Free Democratic Party | 1 | Heinrich David | |||
Basel-Landschaft 26 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 2 |
| |
Bauern- und Arbeiterbund | 1 | Stephan Gschwind | |||
Schaffhausen 27 | 2 | Free Democratic Party | 2 |
| |
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 28 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 |
| |
Appenzell Innerhoden 29 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Karl Justin Sonderegger | |
St. Gallen 30 | 2 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Karl Emil Wild | |
Democratic Group | 1 | J. A. Scherrer-Füllemann | |||
St. Gallen 31 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
St. Gallen 32 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
St. Gallen 33 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 2 |
| |
Democratic Group | 1 | Carl Theodor Curti | |||
St. Gallen 34 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
Grisons 35 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Peter Theophil Bühler | |
Democratic Group | 1 | Matthäus Risch | |||
Grisons 36 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Alfred von Planta | |
Catholic Right | 1 | Caspar Decurtins | |||
Grisons 37 | 1 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Andrea Vital | |
Aargau 38 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 |
| |
Aargau 39 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 |
| |
Aargau 40 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Jakob Nietlispach | |
Aargau 41 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |
Free Democratic Party | 1 | Josef Jäger | |||
Thurgau 42 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 4 |
| |
Democratic Group | 1 | Emil Hofmann | |||
Ticino 43 | 2 | Free Democratic Party | 2 |
| |
Ticino 44 | 4 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
Free Democratic Party | 2 |
| |||
Vaud 45 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 3 |
| |
Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |||
Vaud 46 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 4 |
| |
Vaud 47 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 2 |
| |
Liberal Centre | 1 | Louis-Charles Delarageaz | |||
Valais 48 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
Valais 49 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Joseph Kuntschen Sr. | |
Valais 50 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Henri Bioley | |
Free Democratic Party | 1 | Camille Défayes | |||
Neuchâtel 51 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 4 |
| |
Liberal Centre | 1 | Jules Calame | |||
Geneva 52 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 3 |
| |
Liberal Centre | 1 | Gustave Ador | |||
Social Democratic Party | 1 | Alexandre Triquet | |||
Source: Gruner |
References
- Elections to the National Council 1848–1917: Distribution of seats by party or political orientation Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine BFS
- ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1886 ISBN 9783832956097
- Thomas T Mackie & Richard Rose (1991) The International Almanac of Electoral History, Macmillan
- Gruner, Erich. Die Wahlen in den Schweizerischen Nationalrat 1848–1919. Vol. 3.