1893 Swiss federal election

The 52 electoral districts

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 29 October 1893. The Radical Left narrowly retained its majority in the National Council.[1]

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.[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 91.5% and lowest in Zug at 17.5%.

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Radical Left		41.8	74	0
	Catholic Right		20.0	29	–6
	Liberal Centre		16.8	27	+7
	Democratic Group		10.3	16	+1
	Social Democratic Party		5.9	1	0
	Evangelical Right		4.0	0	–2
	Independents		1.2	0	0
Total				147	0
Total votes		391,610	–
Registered voters/turnout		670,948	58.37
Source: BFS (seats)

By constituency

Constituency	Seats	Party		Seats won	Elected members
Zürich 1	6		Liberal Centre	3	Hans Konrad Pestalozzi Konrad Cramer Ulrich Meister Jr.
			Democratic Group	2	Carl Theodor Curti Johann Jakob Schäppi
			Social Democratic Party	1	Jakob Vogelsanger
Zürich 2	4		Liberal Centre	3	Johann Jakob Abegg Johannes Eschmann Hans Wunderli
			Democratic Group	1	Heinrich Hess
Zürich 3	4		Democratic Group	4	Rudolf Geilinger Ludwig Forrer Albert Locher Albert Kündig
Zürich 4	3		Democratic Group	2	Johannes Moser Friedrich Scheuchzer
			Liberal Centre	1	Heinrich Steinemann
Bern 5	5		Radical Left	5	Matthäus Zurbuchen Arnold Gottlieb Bühler Johann Jakob Rebmann Franz Neuhaus Gottfried Feller
Bern 6	5		Radical Left	3	Rudolf Brunner Johann Jenny Eduard Müller
			Evangelical Right	2	Edmund von Steiger Ernst Wyss
Bern 7	4		Radical Left	4	Fritz Bühlmann Adolf Müller Gottfried Joost Gottlieb Berger
Bern 8	4		Radical Left	3	Hans Dinkelmann Emil Moser Gottfried Bangerter
			Bern People's Party	1	Ulrich Burkhalter
Bern 9	4		Radical Left	4	Eduard Bähler Johannes Zimmermann Eduard Marti Rudolf Häni
Bern 10	3		Radical Left	3	Pierre Jolissaint Albert Gobat Joseph Stockmar
Bern 11	2		Catholic Right	1	Joseph Choquard
			Radical Left	1	Henri Cuenat
Lucerne 12	2		Radical Left	2	Hermann Heller Josef Vonmatt
Lucerne 13	3		Catholic Right	3	Josef Erni Candid Hochstrasser Theodor Schmid
Lucerne 14	2		Catholic Right	2	Josef Anton Schobinger Franz Xaver Beck
Uri 15	1		Catholic Right	1	Franz Schmid
Schwyz 16	3		Catholic Right	3	Vital Schwander Sr. Fridolin Holdener Nikolaus Benziger
Obwalden 17	1		Catholic Right	1	Peter Anton Ming
Nidwalden 18	1		Catholic Right	1	Hans von Matt Sr.
Glarus 19	2		Democratic Group	1	Kaspar Schindler
			Liberal Centre	1	Rudolf Gallati
Zug 20	1		Catholic Right	1	Franz Hediger
Fribourg 21	2		Liberal Centre	1	Louis de Diesbach
			Radical Left	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		Radical Left	3	Joseph Gisi Albert Brosi Wilhelm Vigier
			Liberal Centre	1	Bernard Hammer
Basel-Stadt 25	4		Liberal Centre	2	Paul Speiser Emil Bischoff
			Radical Left	2	Ernst Brenner Hermann Kinkelin
Basel-Landschaft 26	3		Radical Left	3	Johannes Suter Emil Frey Jakob Buser
Schaffhausen 27	2		Radical Left	2	Wilhelm Joos Robert Grieshaber
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 28	3		Liberal Centre	3	Johannes Zuberbühler Johann Jakob Sturzenegger Johann Konrad Eisenhut
Appenzell Innerhoden 29	1		Liberal Centre	1	Karl Justin Sonderegger
St. Gallen 30	2		Radical Left	1	Karl Emil Wild
			Democratic Group	1	J. A. Scherrer-Füllemann
St. Gallen 31	2		Catholic Right	1	Johann Gebhard Lutz
			Evangelical Right	1	Christoph Tobler
St. Gallen 32	2		Catholic Right	2	Wilhelm Good Johann Baptist Schubiger
St. Gallen 33	3		Radical Left	2	Johann Georg Berlinger Carl Hilty
			Democratic Group	1	Eduard Steiger
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
			Radical Left	1	Johann Anton Casparis Jr.
Grisons 37	1		Liberal Centre	1	Thomas von Albertini
Aargau 38	3		Radical Left	3	Arnold Künzli Jakob Lüthy Erwin Kurz
Aargau 39	3		Radical Left	3	Max Alphonse Erismann Olivier Zschokke Emil Frey
Aargau 40	1		Catholic Right	1	Jakob Nietlispach
Aargau 41	3		Liberal Centre	2	Albert Ursprung Emil Albert Baldinger
			Catholic Right	1	Franz Xaver Widmer
Thurgau 42	5		Radical Left	3	Karl Alfred Fehr Friedrich Heinrich Häberlin Gustav Merkle
			Liberal Centre	1	Jakob Huldreich Bachmann
			Democratic Group	1	Josef Anton Koch
Ticino 43	2		Radical Left	2	Achille Borella Leone de Stoppani
Ticino 44	4		Radical Left	4	Plinio Bolla Alfredo Pioda Germano Bruni Demetrio Camuzzi
Vaud 45	5		Radical Left	5	Charles-Eugène Fonjallaz Louis Chausson Charles Boiceau Eugène Ruffy Paul Cérésole
Vaud 46	4		Radical Left	4	Jacques-François Viquerat Louis Déglon Émile Paillard Jean Cavat
Vaud 47	3		Radical Left	2	Adrien Thélin Ernest Decollogny
			Liberal Centre	1	Louis-Charles Delarageaz
Valais 48	2		Catholic Right	2	Hans Anton von Roten Alfred Perig
Valais 49	1		Catholic Right	1	Joseph Kuntschen Sr.
Valais 50	2		Radical Left	1	Émile Gaillard
			Catholic Right	1	Charles de Werra
Neuchâtel 51	5		Radical Left	5	Robert Comtesse Donat Fer Louis-Alexandre Martin Charles-Émile Tissot Alfred Jeanhenry
Geneva 52	5		Liberal Centre	3	Gustave Ador Alexandre Ramu Jacques Rutty
			Radical Left	2	Adrien Lachenal Louis Charrière
Source: Gruner[3]

Council of States

Party		Seats	+/–
	Radical Left	20	+3
	Catholic Right	15	–2
	Liberal Centre	3	+1
	Democratic Group	2	0
	Evangelical Right	1	0
	Social Democratic Party	1	0
	Independents	0	–1
Vacant		2	–1
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.