1875 Swiss federal election

The 48 electoral districts

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 31 October 1875. The Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council.^[1]

Electoral system

The 135 members of the National Council were elected in 48 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 Aargau at 85.6% (higher than the 73.7% who voted in Schaffhausen, where voting was compulsory) and lowest in Zug at 31.4%.

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Radical Left		38.2	63	+3
	Liberal Centre		25.7	33	+3
	Catholic Right		17.9	22	–5
	Democratic Left		11.7	15	0
	Evangelical Right		4.8	2	–1
	Socialists		0.1	0	New
	Independents		1.6	0	0
Total				135	0
Total votes		375,666	–
Registered voters/turnout		635,745	59.09
Source: BFS (seats)

By constituency

Constituency	Seats	Party		Seats won	Elected members
Zürich 1	5		Liberal Centre	5	Alfred Escher Johann Jakob Widmer Melchior Römer Heinrich Studer Wilhelm Hertenstein
Zürich 2	3		Democratic Left	2	Rudolf Zinggeler Johann Jakob Keller
			Liberal Centre	1	Johann Jakob Hasler
Zürich 3	3		Democratic Left	3	Gottlieb Ziegler Salomon Bleuler Friedrich Salomon Vögelin
Zürich 4	3		Democratic Left	3	Johann Jakob Scherer Friedrich Scheuchzer Johannes Moser
Bern 5	5		Radical Left	5	Wilhelm Teuscher Johannes Ritschard Jakob Scherz Carl Samuel Zyro Friedrich Seiler
Bern 6	4		Radical Left	3	Rudolf Rohr Rudolf Brunner Friedrich von Werdt
			Evangelical Right	1	Otto von Büren
Bern 7	4		Radical Left	4	Karl Karrer Gottlieb Riem Gottfried Joost Karl Schenk
Bern 8	4		Radical Left	4	Johann Bützberger Albert Friedrich Born Alexander Bucher Rudolf Leuenberger
Bern 9	3		Radical Left	3	Jakob Stämpfli Eduard Marti Friedrich Eggli
Bern 10	5		Radical Left	5	Auguste-Adolphe Klaye Pierre Jolissaint Niklaus Kaiser Hippolyte Paulet Paul Migy
Lucerne 11	2		Radical Left	1	Josef Vonmatt
			Liberal Centre	1	Joseph Zingg
Lucerne 12	1		Catholic Right	1	Josef Zemp
Lucerne 13	2		Catholic Right	2	Vinzenz Fischer Johann Amberg
Lucerne 14	2		Catholic Right	2	Franz Xaver Beck Philipp Anton von Segesser
Uri 15	1		Catholic Right	1	Josef Arnold
Schwyz 16	2		Catholic Right	2	Fridolin Holdener Ambros Eberle
Obwalden 17	1		Catholic Right	1	Alois Reinert
Nidwalden 18	1		Catholic Right	1	Robert Durrer
Glarus 19	2		Liberal Centre	1	Joachim Heer
			Radical Left	1	Niklaus Tschudi
Zug 20	1		Catholic Right	1	Alois Schwerzmann
Fribourg 21	3		Catholic Right	3	Louis de Weck Laurent Chaney Arthur Techtermann
Fribourg 22	3		Catholic Right	3	Joseph Jaquet Louis Grand Louis de Wuilleret
Solothurn 23	4		Radical Left	3	Leo Weber Hermann Dietler Simon Kaiser
			Liberal Centre	1	Carl Franz Bally
Basel-Stadt 24	2		Radical Left	2	Karl Burckhardt-Iselin Wilhelm Klein
Basel-Landschaft 25	3		Radical Left	1	Jakob Bernhard Graf
			Democratic Left	1	Emil Frey
			Liberal Centre	1	Gédéon Thommen
Schaffhausen 26	2		Democratic Left	2	Heinrich Gustav Schoch Wilhelm Joos
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 27	2		Radical Left	2	Christian Graf Johann Georg Tanner
Appenzell Innerhoden 28	1		Catholic Right	1	Alois Broger
St. Gallen 29	4		Liberal Centre	2	Arnold Otto Aepli Daniel Wirth-Sand
			Democratic Left	2	Gustav Adolf Saxer Thomas Thoma
St. Gallen 30	3		Radical Left	2	Johann Baptist Gaudy Johann Josef Huber
			Liberal Centre	1	Rudolf Hilty
St. Gallen 31	3		Catholic Right	2	Johann Fridolin Müller Johann Joseph Keel
			Evangelical Right	1	Samuel Friedrich Rikli
Grisons 32	2		Liberal Centre	1	Simeon Bavier
			Radical Left	1	Johann Gaudenz von Salis
Grisons 33	2		Catholic Right	1	Johann R. von Toggenburg
			Radical Left	1	Anton Steinhauser
Grisons 34	1		Radical Left	1	Johann Albert Romedi
Aargau 35	3		Liberal Centre	2	Carl Feer-Herzog Johann Haberstich
			Radical Left	1	Arnold Künzli
Aargau 36	4		Radical Left	3	Peter Suter Theodor Haller Robert Straub
			Liberal Centre	1	Hans Weber
Aargau 37	3		Catholic Right	2	Karl von Schmid Arnold Münch
			Liberal Centre	1	Emil Welti
Thurgau 38	5		Radical Left	2	Friedrich Heinrich Häberlin Gustav Merkle
			Democratic Left	2	Jakob Albert Scherb Severin Stoffel
			Liberal Centre	1	Johann Messmer
Ticino 39	3		Catholic Right	3	Massimiliano Magatti Bernardino Lurati Carlo Pasta
Ticino 40	3		Catholic Right	3	Michele Pedrazzini Carlo Vonmentlen Agostino Gatti
Vaud 41	4		Liberal Centre	2	Jakob Dubs Louis Berdez
			Radical Left	2	Louis Ruchonnet Frédéric Chausson
Vaud 42	4		Liberal Centre	2	Jean-Louis Demiéville Pierre-Isaac Joly
			Radical Left	2	Paul Wulliémoz Georges-Louis Contesse
Vaud 43	3		Radical Left	3	Louis-Henri Delarageaz Henri Reymond Charles Baud
Valais 44	2		Catholic Right	2	Hans Anton von Roten Victor de Chastonay
Valais 45	1		Catholic Right	1	Ferdinand de Montheys
Valais 46	2		Radical Left	2	Louis Barman Alexandre Dénériaz
Neuchâtel 47	5		Radical Left	5	Fritz Berthoud Édouard Desor Jules Philippin Louis Constant Lambelet Fritz Rüsser
Geneva 48	4		Radical Left	4	Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel Antoine Carteret Charles Chalumeau Moïse Vautier
Source: Gruner[3]

Council of States

Party		Seats	+/–
	Catholic Right	16	+1
	Radical Left	11	0
	Liberal Centre	9	–1
	Democratic Left	4	+1
	Evangelical Right	0	0
	Independents	3	–1
Vacant		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.