Swiss parliamentary elections 1919

← 1917General election of
the National Council in 19191922 →

Turnout: 80.4%

 %

50

40

30th

20th

10

0

28.85

23.46

20.97

15.33

3.81

2.75

1.96

0.81

2.05

FDP

SP

CIP

BB

LPS

Grüt

DP

EPP

Otherwise.

Gains and losses

compared to

 % p

 12

 10

   8th

   6th

   4th

   2

   0

  -2

  -4

  -6

  -8th

-10

-12

-11.98

-7.32

+4.51

+11.93

-1.08

+2.75

-1.31

+0.81

+1.65

FDP

SP

CIP

BB

LPS

Grüt

DP

EPP

Otherwise.

Bundeshaus in Bern:
seat of the Swiss parliament

The Swiss parliamentary elections in 1919 took place on October 26, 1919. The 189 mandates of the National Council and mandates in the Council of States had to be reassigned. These were the first national council elections after the introduction of proportional representation . The turnout was 80.83%, the highest figure to date.

The big loser in the National Council was the Free Democratic Party (FDP), which lost forty-three seats and thus the absolute majority. The Social Democrats , who almost doubled their delegation, and the farmers' and citizens' parties founded during the First World War (forerunners of the national farmers, trade and citizens' party ), which gained 30 seats from a standing start and were the dominant force in the densely populated area, were able to win Establish the Canton of Bern . In the Council of States, however, the absolute free-thinking majority remained and the SP lost its only Council of States seat.

Election mode

National Council

The national councils were elected for the first time in 1919 using the proportional representation system. H. the seats were distributed in the individual cantons according to the proportion of voters on the party lists and only within the list according to the individual votes. The number of seats per canton is determined based on the number of inhabitants. In cantons with only one seat, majority voting applies ; in 1919 this affected Appenzell Innerrhoden, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Glarus and Zug. Silent elections were held in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in 1919 .

More detailed on this: National Council (Switzerland) - electoral process

Council of States

Every canton has elected two representatives for the Council of States since 1848 ( half-cantons : one representative). The elections to the Council of States are based on cantonal law.

More detailed on this: Council of States - electoral procedure

Results National Council

Parties, vote, seats

In the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden there was a silent election , as there were only as many candidacies as there were seats to be allocated.

The nationwide results were as follows:

41

2

1

4th

61

9

41

30th

41 2 1 4th 61 9 41 30th 

A total of 189 seats

• SP : 41
• Grüt. : 2
• EVP : 1
• DP : 4
• FDP (including JR) : 61
• LPS : 9
• KVP : 41
• BB : 30

Strongest parties in the cantons and distribution of seats

Political party	Voters	%	Seats	(+/-)
Liberal Democratic Party	215,566	28.85%	60	−43
Social Democratic Party	175,292	23.46%	41	+19
Swiss Conservative People's Party	156,702	20.97%	41	± 0
Farmers, trade and civil parties	114,537	15.33%	30th	+27
Liberal Party of Switzerland	28,497	3.81%	9	−3
Grütlians	20,559	2.75%	2	+2
Democratic Party	14,677	1.96%	4th	−3
Evangelical People's Party	6'031	0.81%	1	+1
Jeunes radicaux (VD + GE) 1	4,973	0.67%	1	+1
Union helvétique (NE) 2	2,360	0.32%	0	± 0
Ordre et Liberté (NE) 3	2,307	0.31%	0	± 0
Association of Independent Workers' Associations (Cartel) (BS)	1,681	0.22%	0	± 0
United Minority Parties (SH)	1'609	0.22%	0	± 0
Independent Economic Group (SH)	789	0.11%	0	± 0
Wild List (ZH)	691	0.09%	0	± 0
Ouvriers socialistes (GE) 4	561	0.08%	0	± 0
Jeunesse radicale (GE) 5	66	0.01%	0	± 0
Radicaux socialistes (GE) 6	46	0.01%	0	± 0
Isolated votes in single constituencies	259	0.03%	0	± 0
Total	747,203	100%	189

Sources: Federal Statistical Office; Statistical Yearbooks of Switzerland, issues 1932 (pages 388–391) and 1964 (page 522); Statistische Quellenwerke der Schweiz / Heft 436, series Qa9, Bern 1968. National Council elections 1967, other parties 1919–1967, pages 144–149

¹in German: Jungfreisinnige ; the elected representative from the canton of Geneva joined the FDP parliamentary group

²in German: Helvetic Union, vigilante from La Chaux-de-Fonds , predecessor of the Parti progressiste national

³in German: order and freedom, vigilantes from Le Locle , predecessor of the Parti progressiste national

^4th in German: socialist workers

⁵ in German: radical / free-spirited youth

^6th in German: Socialist Radicals / Liberals

Distribution of seats in the cantons

Canton	Total	FDP		SP		CIP		BB		LPS		Dem		Grütli		EPP		JR 7
Aargau	12	3	−6	3	+3	3		3	+3
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 8	3	2		1
Appenzell Innerrhoden	1					1
Basel-Country	4th	3		1	+1
Basel city	7th	1	−1	3	+2	1		1		1		0	−1
Bern	32	5	−15	9	+1	1	−2	9 16	+16	0	−1			1	+1
Freiburg	7th	1	−1			6th	+1
Geneva	8th	2	−1	2	+1	1				2	−1							1	+1
Glarus	2	1										1
Grisons	6th	3	−1	1	+1	2
Lucerne	8th	3				5
Neuchâtel	7th	2	−1	3	+1					2
Nidwalden	1					1
Obwalden	1					1
Schaffhausen	2	0	−2					2	+2
Schwyz	3	10 1				2
Solothurn	6th	3	+1	2		1	−1
St. Gallen	15th	5	−2	2	+2	6th						2
Ticino	8th	4th	−2	1	+1	3	+1
Thurgau	7th	2	−2	1	+1	1		2	+1			1
Uri	1	1
Vaud	16	9	−2	3	+3					4th	−1
Valais	6th	1				5
train	1	1
Zurich	25th	7th	−8	9	+2	1	+1	6th	+5			0	−2	1	+1	1	+1
Switzerland	189	60	−43	41	+19	41	± 0	30th	+27	9	−3	4th	−3	2	+2	1	+1	1	+1

^7th Jeunes Radicaux

^8th silent choice

⁹National Councilor Arnold Gottlieb Bühler was elected on the list of the BGB, but then politicized in the FDP parliamentary group. In the 1919–1922 legislature, the BB parliamentary group actually only comprised 15 Bernese.

¹⁰National Councilor Josef Bürgi was elected to the list of the FDP, but then politicized in the BB parliamentary group.

Results Council of States

1

23

2

17th

1

1 23 2 17th 1 

A total of 44 seats

• DP : 1
• FDP : 23
• LPS : 2
• KVP : 17
• BB : 1

Distribution of seats

The distribution of seats in the Council of States was as follows:

Political party	Elections 1919	Elections 1917
FDP	23	24
CIP	17th	16
LPS	2	2
BB	1	0
DP	1	1
SP	0	1

Elected Councils of State

Canton	1. Seat of the Council of States	2. Seat of the Council of States
Aargau	Peter Emil Isler , FDP (previously)	Gottfried Keller , FDP (previously)
Appenzell Ausserrhoden	Johannes Baumann , FDP (previously)	only 1 seat
Appenzell Innerrhoden	Johann Baptist Edmund Dähler , KVP (previously)	only 1 seat
Basel-Country	Gustav Johann Schneider , FDP (previously)	only 1 seat
Basel city	Victor Emil Scherer , FDP (new)	only 1 seat
Bern	Paul Charmillot , FDP (new)	Carl Moser , BB (new)
Freiburg	Georges Python , KVP (previously)	Georges de Montenach , KVP (previously)
Geneva	Henri Fazy , FDP (previously)	Jacques Rutty , LPS (so far)
Glarus	David Legler , DP (so far)	Philippe Mercier , FDP (so far)
Grisons	Andreas Laelys , FDP (so far)	Friedrich Brügger , KVP (previously)
Lucerne	Josef Dürig , KVP (previously)	Josef Winiger , KVP (previously)
Neuchâtel	Auguste Pettavel , FDP (previously)	Pierre de Meuron , LPS (previously)
Nidwalden	Jakob Konstantin Wyrsch , KVP (previously)	only 1 seat
Obwalden	Adalbert Wirz , KVP (previously)	only 1 seat
Schaffhausen	Albert Ammann , FDP (previously)	Heinrich Bolli , FDP (previously)
Schwyz	Martin Ochsner , CIP (previously)	Josef Räber , KVP (previously)
Solothurn	Casimir von Arx , FDP (so far)	Robert Schöpfer , FDP (so far)
St. Gallen	Johannes Geel , FDP (previously)	Anton August Messmer , KVP (new)
Ticino	Stefano Gabuzzi , FDP (previously)	Adolfo Soldini , FDP (previously)
Thurgau	Alexander Otto Aepli , FDP (previously)	Albert Böhi , FDP (previously)
Uri	Karl Huber , KVP (previously)	Franz Muheim , KVP (previously)
Vaud	Émile Dind , FDP (previously)	Henri Simon , FDP (previously)
Valais	Joseph Ribordy , KVP (previously)	Julius Zen Ruffinen , KVP (previously)
train	Josef Andermatt , KVP (previously)	Josef Hildebrand , KVP (previously)
Zurich	Oskar Wettstein , FDP (previously)	Paul Usteri , FDP (previously)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from November 21, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
2. ↑ http://www.portal-stat.admin.ch/nrw/files/de/01b3.xml , table "National Council elections: distribution of mandates according to parties and canton, 1919-2015"
3. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from November 21, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
4. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from December 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
5. ↑ http://www.portal-stat.admin.ch/nrw/files/de/01b3.xml , table "National Council elections: distribution of mandates according to parties and cantons, 1919–2015 (je-d-17.02.03.04.01)
6. ↑ Beat Junker , in: Historischer Verein des Kantons Bern (ed.), History of the Canton of Bern since 1798, Volume 3: Tradition and Awakening 1881–1995, Bern 1996, p. 98, http://biblio.unibe.ch/ digibern / gesch_kant_bern_seit_1798_bd_03_tradition_und_aufbruch.pdf
7. ^ Franz Auf der Maur: Bürgi, Josef. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
8. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from December 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
9. ↑ Swiss Parliament, database of council members since 1848, http://www.parlament.ch/d/suche/Seiten/ratslösungen.aspx