1866 Swiss federal election
Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 28 October 1866. The Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council.[1]
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| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Switzerland |
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Electoral system
The 128 members of the National Council were elected in 47 single- and multi-member constituencies; there was one seat for every 20,000 citizens, with seats allocated to cantons in proportion to their population.[2] The elections were held 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] In six cantons (Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Glarus, Nidwalden, Obwalden and Uri), National Council members were elected by the Landsgemeinde.
Results
Voter turnout was highest in the Canton of Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 86.3% and lowest in the Canton of Schwyz at 18.7%.
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radical Left | 39.6 | 53 | –6 | |
| Liberal Centre | 28.4 | 39 | +2 | |
| Catholic Right | 17.0 | 21 | 0 | |
| Democratic Left | 10.5 | 11 | +5 | |
| Evangelical Right | 2.9 | 4 | –1 | |
| Independents | 1.6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 284,020 | 100 | 128 | 0 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 561,669 | 50.6 | – | – |
| Source: BFS | ||||
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