1896 Swiss federal election

The 52 electoral districts

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 25 October 1896. The Free Democratic Party retained its majority in the National Council.[1]

Electoral system

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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.[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 Nidwalden at 90.3% (higher than the 89.3% in Schaffhausen where voting was compulsory) and lowest in Obwalden at 21.4%.

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Free Democratic Party181,02848.7386+12
Catholic People's Party85,48423.0130+1
Liberal Centre54,01214.5423–4
Democratic Group19,9465.377–9
Social Democratic Party25,3046.8110
Others5,7501.5500
Total371,524100.001470
Valid votes371,52493.29
Invalid/blank votes26,7016.71
Total votes398,225100.00
Registered voters/turnout713,36755.82
Source: Mackie & Rose,[3] BFS (seats)

By constituency

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Constituency Seats Party Seats
won
Elected members
Zürich 1 6 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Johann Jakob Amsler
  • Ulrich Meister Jr.
  • Johann Jakob Schäppi
Liberal Centre 2
  • Hans Konrad Pestalozzi
  • Konrad Cramer
Democratic Group 1 Jakob Vogelsanger
Zürich 2 4 Liberal Centre 3
  • Johann Jakob Abegg
  • Heinrich Berchtold
  • Hans Wunderli
Free Democratic Party 1 Heinrich Hess
Zürich 3 4 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Rudolf Geilinger
  • Emil Stadler Sr.
  • Ludwig Forrer
Democratic Group 1 Albert Kündig
Zürich 4 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Heinrich Kern
  • Johannes Moser
Liberal Centre 1 Heinrich Steinemann
Bern 5 5 Free Democratic Party 5
  • Matthäus Zurbuchen
  • Arnold Gottlieb Bühler
  • Johann Jakob Rebmann
  • Franz Neuhaus
  • Eduard Ruchti
Bern 6 5 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Johann Jenny
  • Johann Hirter
  • Theodor Sourbeck
  • Friedrich Bürgi
Evangelical Right 1 Edmund von Steiger
Bern 7 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Adolf Müller
  • Fritz Bühlmann
  • Gottfried Joost
  • Gottlieb Berger
Bern 8 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Emil Moser
  • Hans Dinkelmann
  • Gottfried Bangerter
  • Johann Rudolf Steinhauer
Bern 9 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Eduard Bähler
  • Eduard Marti
  • Johannes Zimmermann
  • Jakob Freiburghaus
Bern 10 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Virgile Rossel
  • Joseph Stockmar
  • Albert Gobat
Bern 11 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Casimir Folletête
  • Joseph-Auguste Boinay
Lucerne 12 2 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Hermann Heller
  • Friedrich Degen
Lucerne 13 3 Catholic Right 3
  • Josef Erni
  • Candid Hochstrasser
  • Theodor Schmid
Lucerne 14 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Dominik Fellmann
  • Josef Anton Schobinger
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 Kaspar Schindler
Free Democratic Party 1 Rudolf Gallati
Zug 20 1 Free Democratic Party 1 Klemens Iten
Fribourg 21 2 Liberal Centre 1 Henri Schaller
Free Democratic Party 1 Constant Dinichert
Fribourg 22 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Paul Aeby
  • Louis de Wuilleret
Fribourg 23 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Louis Grand
  • Alphonse Théraulaz
Solothurn 24 4 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Joseph Gisi
  • Wilhelm Vigier
  • Albert Brosi
Catholic Right 1 Joseph Anton Glutz
Basel-Stadt 25 4 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Ernst Brenner
  • Hermann Kinkelin
Liberal Centre 1 Isaak Iselin-Sarasin
Social Democratic Party 1 Eugen Wullschleger
Basel-Landschaft 26 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Johannes Suter
  • Jakob Buser
Bauern- und Arbeiterbund 1 Walter Meyer
Schaffhausen 27 2 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Wilhelm Joos
  • Robert Grieshaber
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 28 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Johann Konrad Eisenhut
  • Johann Conrad Sonderegger
  • Johann Jakob Sonderegger
Appenzell Innerhoden 29 1 Liberal Centre 1 Karl Justin Sonderegger
St. Gallen 30 2 Democratic Group 1 J. A. Scherrer-Füllemann
Free Democratic Party 1 Karl Emil Wild
St. Gallen 31 2 Catholic Right 1 Johann Gebhard Lutz
Liberal Centre 1 Christoph Tobler
St. Gallen 32 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Wilhelm Good
  • Johann Baptist Schubiger
St. Gallen 33 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Johann Georg Berlinger
  • Carl Hilty
Democratic Group 1 Carl Theodor Curti
St. Gallen 34 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Johann Joseph Keel
  • Othmar Staub
Grisons 35 2 Liberal Centre 1 Peter Theophil Bühler
Democratic Group 1 Matthäus Risch
Grisons 36 2 Catholic Right 1 Caspar Decurtins
Liberal Centre 1 Alfred von Planta
Grisons 37 1 Liberal Centre 1 Thomas von Albertini
Aargau 38 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Arnold Künzli
  • Erwin Kurz
  • Jakob Lüthy
Aargau 39 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Olivier Zschokke
  • Hans Müri
  • Max Alphonse Erismann
Aargau 40 1 Catholic Right 1 Jakob Nietlispach
Aargau 41 3 Liberal Centre 2
  • Emil Albert Baldinger
  • Albert Ursprung
Free Democratic Party 1 Josef Jäger
Thurgau 42 5 Liberal Centre 3
  • Friedrich Heinrich Häberlin
  • Karl Alfred Fehr
  • Gustav Merkle
Free Democratic Party 2
  • Josef Anton Koch
  • Adolf Germann
Ticino 43 2 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Achille Borella
  • Romeo Manzoni
Ticino 44 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Filippo Rusconi
  • Alfredo Pioda
  • Cesare Bolla
  • Demetrio Camuzzi
Vaud 45 5 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Charles-Eugène Fonjallaz
  • Louis Chausson
  • Émile Gaudard
Liberal Centre 2
  • Charles Boiceau
  • Paul Cérésole
Vaud 46 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Émile Paillard
  • Jean Cavat
  • Louis Déglon
  • Adolphe Jordan
Vaud 47 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Juste Lagier
  • Adrien Thélin
Liberal Centre 1 Louis-Charles Delarageaz
Valais 48 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Alfred Perrig
  • Gustav Loretan
Valais 49 1 Catholic Right 1 Joseph Kuntschen Sr.
Valais 50 2 Catholic Right 1 Henri Bioley
Free Democratic Party 1 Émile Gaillard
Neuchâtel 51 5 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Robert Comtesse
  • Louis-Alexandre Martin
  • Charles-Émile Tissot
  • Alfred Jeanhenry
Liberal Centre 1 Jules Calame
Geneva 52 5 Free Democratic Party 4
Liberal Centre 1 Gustave Ador
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.