1884 Swiss federal election

The 49 electoral districts

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 26 October 1884. The Radical Left retained its majority in the National Council.[1]

Electoral system

The 145 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

National Council

Voter turnout was highest in Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 95.9% and lowest in Neuchâtel at 25.1%.

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Radical Left		42.0	74	–1
	Catholic Right		25.7	37	+2
	Liberal Centre		16.8	18	–4
	Democratic Group		8.2	15	+5
	Evangelical Right		6.2	1	–2
	Socialists		0.2	0	New
	Independents		0.9	0	0
Total				145	0
Total votes		404,028	–
Registered voters/turnout		640,262	63.10
Source: BFS (seats)

By constituency

Constituency	Seats	Party		Seats won	Elected members
Zürich 1	5		Liberal Centre	4	Melchior Römer Konrad Cramer Wilhelm Hertenstein Ulrich Meister Jr.
			Democratic Group	1	Arnold Syfrig
Zürich 2	4		Liberal Centre	3	Heinrich Landis Johann Heinrich Bühler Jakob Brennwald
			Democratic Group	1	Johann Jakob Keller
Zürich 3	4		Democratic Group	4	Rudolf Geilinger Johannes Stössel Friedrich Salomon Vögelin Ludwig Forrer
Zürich 4	3		Democratic Group	3	Friedrich Scheuchzer Johannes Moser Johann Jakob Sulzer
Bern 5	5		Radical Left	5	Matthäus Zurbuchen Johann Jakob Rebmann Johann Zürcher Jakob Scherz Carl Samuel Zyro
Bern 6	5		Radical Left	5	Johann Jakob Hauser Rudolf Brunner Rudolf Rohr Karl Stämpfli Eduard Müller
Bern 7	4		Radical Left	4	Gottlieb Riem Fritz Bühlmann Karl Schenk Karl Karrer
Bern 8	4		Radical Left	4	Johann Bützberger Johann Friedrich Gugelmann Andreas Schmid Rudolf Leuenberger
Bern 9	4		Radical Left	4	Johannes Schlup Eduard Marti Rudolf Niggeler Charles Kuhn
Bern 10	5		Radical Left	5	Joseph Stockmar Henri Cuenat Ernest Francillon Pierre Jolissaint Auguste-Adolphe Klaye
Lucerne 11	2		Radical Left	2	Josef Vonmatt Friedrich Wüest
Lucerne 12	1		Catholic Right	1	Josef Zemp
Lucerne 13	2		Catholic Right	2	Josef Erni Candid Hochstrasser
Lucerne 14	2		Catholic Right	2	Philipp Anton von Segesser Franz Xaver Beck
Uri 15	1		Catholic Right	1	Josef Arnold
Schwyz 16	3		Catholic Right	3	Nikolaus Benziger Vital Schwander Sr. Fridolin Holdener
Obwalden 17	1		Catholic Right	1	Nicolaus Hermann
Nidwalden 18	1		Catholic Right	1	Robert Durrer
Glarus 19	2		Liberal Centre	1	Charles Mercier
			Democratic Group	1	Kaspar Schindler
Zug 20	1		Catholic Right	1	Theodor Keiser
Fribourg 21	2		Catholic Right	2	Georges Cressier Georges Python
Fribourg 22	2		Catholic Right	2	Paul Aeby Louis de Wuilleret
Fribourg 23	2		Catholic Right	2	Louis Grand Alphonse Théraulaz
Solothurn 24	4		Radical Left	4	Bernhard Hammer Simon Kaiser Urs Schild Albert Brosi
Basel-Stadt 25	3		Radical Left	2	Wilhelm Klein Karl Burckhardt-Iselin
			Liberal Centre	1	Johann Rudolf Geigy-Merian
Basel-Landschaft 26	3		Radical Left	3	Jakob Bernhard Graf Gédéon Thommen Ambrosius Rosenmund
Schaffhausen 27	2		Radical Left	1	Robert Grieshaber
			Democratic Group	1	Wilhelm Joos
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 28	3		Liberal Centre	1	Johann Jakob Sturzenegger Johann Ulrich Eisenhut
			Radical Left	1	Johann Conrad Sonderegger
Appenzell Innerhoden 29	1		Liberal Centre	1	Karl Justin Sonderegger
St. Gallen 30	4		Democratic Group	2	Roderich Albert Kunkler Adolf Grubenmann
			Catholic Right	1	Johann Gebhard Lutz
			Evangelical Right	1	Christoph Tobler
St. Gallen 31	3		Catholic Right	1	Wilhelm Good
			Radical Left	1	Gallus August Suter
			Democratic Group	1	Carl Theodor Curti
St. Gallen 32	3		Catholic Right	3	Johann Fridolin Müller Johann Joseph Keel Laurenz Schönenberger
Grisons 33	2		Liberal Centre	1	Peter Theophil Bühler
			Radical Left	1	Luzius Raschein
Grisons 34	2		Catholic Right	2	Caspar Decurtins Johann Schmid
Grisons 35	1		Radical Left	1	Andrea Bezzola
Aargau 36	3		Radical Left	3	Arnold Künzli Erwin Kurz Ludwig Karrer
Aargau 37	4		Radical Left	2	Hans Riniker Theodor Haller
			Liberal Centre	2	Johann Rohr Peter Emil Isler
Aargau 38	3		Liberal Centre	2	Emil Welti Emil Albert Baldinger
			Catholic Right	1	Arnold Münch
Thurgau 39	5		Radical Left	4	Friedrich Heinrich Häberlin Johann Philipp Heitz Gustav Merkle Adolf Deucher
			Liberal Centre	1	Jakob Huldreich Bachmann
Ticino 40	2		Radical Left	2	Carlo Battaglini Costantino Bernasconi
Ticino 41	5		Catholic Right	5	Martino Pedrazzini Ignazio Polar Giovanni Dazzoni Carlo Vonmentlen Agostino Gatti
Vaud 42	5		Radical Left	5	Louis Ruchonnet Louis Mayor Eugène Ruffy Louis Paschoud Louis Chausson
Vaud 43	4		Radical Left	4	Jacques-François Viquerat Louis Déglon Frédéric Criblet Donat Golaz
Vaud 44	3		Radical Left	3	Adrien Thélin Charles Baud Jules Colomb
Valais 45	2		Catholic Right	2	Hans Anton von Roten Victor de Chastonay
Valais 46	1		Catholic Right	1	Maurice Evéquoz
Valais 47	2		Catholic Right	2	Charles de Werra Fidèle Joris
Neuchâtel 48	5		Radical Left	5	Numa Droz Charles-Émile Tissot Henri Morel Robert Comtesse Arnold Grosjean
Geneva 49	5		Radical Left	3	Antoine Carteret Adrien Lachenal Georges Favon
			Liberal Centre	2	Jean-Étienne Dufour Gustave-Jules Pictet
Source: Gruner[3]

Council of States

Party		Seats	+/–
	Catholic Right	18	0
	Radical Left	17	0
	Liberal Centre	4	0
	Democratic Group	3	0
	Evangelical Right	1	0
	Independents	1	0
Total		44	0
Source: The Federal Assembly

References

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. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1886 ISBN 9783832956097
3. Gruner, Erich. Die Wahlen in den Schweizerischen Nationalrat 1848–1919. Vol. 3.