1899 Swiss federal election

The 52 electoral districts

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 26 October 1899. The Free Democratic Party 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

Voter turnout was highest in Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 86.4% and lowest in Obwalden at 21.3%.

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Free Democratic Party	183,216	49.69	84	–2
	Catholic People's Party	76,845	20.84	32	+2
	Liberal Centre	51,764	14.04	20	–3
	Social Democratic Party	35,488	9.62	4	+3
	Democratic Group	18,003	4.88	7	0
	Others	3,409	0.92	0	0
Total		368,725	100.00	147	0
Valid votes		368,725	91.78
Invalid/blank votes		33,025	8.22
Total votes		401,750	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		737,696	54.46
Source: Mackie & Rose,[3] BFS (seats)

By constituency

Constituency	Seats	Party		Seats won	Elected members
Zürich 1	6		Free Democratic Party	3	Johann Jakob Amsler Emil Zürcher Ulrich Meister Jr.
			Liberal Centre	2	Hans Konrad Pestalozzi Konrad Cramer
			Social Democratic Party	1	Jakob Vogelsanger
Zürich 2	4		Liberal Centre	3	Johann Jakob Abegg Heinrich Berchtold Johann Rudolf Amsler
			Free Democratic Party	1	Heinrich Hess
Zürich 3	4		Free Democratic Party	3	Rudolf Geilinger Emil Stadler Sr. Ludwig Forrer
			Democratic Group	1	Albert Kündig
Zürich 4	3		Liberal Centre	1	Heinrich Steinemann
			Free Democratic Party	1	Heinrich Kern
			Democratic Group	1	Johann Konrad Hörni
Bern 5	5		Free Democratic Party	5	Matthäus Zurbuchen Arnold Gottlieb Bühler Eduard Ruchti Johann Jakob Rebmann Franz Neuhaus
Bern 6	5		Free Democratic Party	3	Johann Hirter Johann Jenny Friedrich Bürgi
			Liberal Centre	2	Edmund von Steiger Ernst Wyss
Bern 7	4		Free Democratic Party	4	Adolf Müller Fritz Bühlmann Fritz Zumstein Gottlieb Berger
Bern 8	4		Free Democratic Party	4	Hans Dinkelmann Emil Moser Johann Rudolf Steinhauer Gottfried Bangerter
Bern 9	4		Free Democratic Party	4	Eduard Bähler Jakob Freiburghaus Johannes Zimmermann Eduard Will
Bern 10	3		Free Democratic Party	3	Virgile Rossel Albert Gobat Albert Locher
Bern 11	2		Catholic Right	1	Casimir Folletête
			Free Democratic Party	1	Henri Cuenat
Lucerne 12	2		Free Democratic Party	2	Friedrich Degen Hermann Heller
Lucerne 13	3		Catholic Right	3	Candid Hochstrasser Theodor Schmid Josef Erni
Lucerne 14	2		Catholic Right	2	Josef Anton Schobinger Dominik Fellmann
Uri 15	1		Catholic Right	1	Franz Schmid
Schwyz 16	3		Catholic Right	3	Vital Schwander Sr. Josef Anton Ferdinand Büeler Nikolaus Benziger
Obwalden 17	1		Catholic Right	1	Peter Anton Ming
Nidwalden 18	1		Catholic Right	1	Karl Niederberger
Glarus 19	2		Free Democratic Party	1	Rudolf Gallati
			Democratic Group	1	Eduard Blumer
Zug 20	1		Free Democratic Party	1	Klemens Iten
Fribourg 21	2		Catholic Right	1	Henri Schaller
			Free Democratic Party	1	Constant Dinichert
Fribourg 22	2		Catholic Right	2	Vincent Gottofrey Aloys Bossy
Fribourg 23	2		Catholic Right	2	Louis Grand Alphonse Théraulaz
Solothurn 24	4		Free Democratic Party	3	Wilhelm Vigier Albert Brosi Joseph Gisi
			Catholic Right	1	Franz Josef Hänggi
Basel-Stadt 25	4		Liberal Centre	2	Carl Koechlin Isaak Iselin-Sarasin
			Social Democratic Party	1	Eugen Wullschleger
			Free Democratic Party	1	Heinrich David
Basel-Landschaft 26	3		Free Democratic Party	2	Jakob Buser Johannes Suter
			Bauern- und Arbeiterbund	1	Stephan Gschwind
Schaffhausen 27	2		Free Democratic Party	2	Robert Grieshaber Wilhelm Joos
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 28	3		Free Democratic Party	3	Johann Konrad Eisenhut Johann Jakob Sonderegger Jakob Konrad Lutz
Appenzell Innerhoden 29	1		Liberal Centre	1	Karl Justin Sonderegger
St. Gallen 30	2		Free Democratic Party	1	Karl Emil Wild
			Democratic Group	1	J. A. Scherrer-Füllemann
St. Gallen 31	2		Catholic Right	2	Johann Gebhard Lutz Johann Jakob Gächter
St. Gallen 32	2		Catholic Right	2	Johann Baptist Schubiger Ferdinand Hidber
St. Gallen 33	3		Free Democratic Party	2	Johann Georg Berlinger Carl Hilty
			Democratic Group	1	Carl Theodor Curti
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		Liberal Centre	1	Alfred von Planta
			Catholic Right	1	Caspar Decurtins
Grisons 37	1		Free Democratic Party	1	Andrea Vital
Aargau 38	3		Free Democratic Party	3	Arnold Künzli Erwin Kurz Jakob Lüthy
Aargau 39	3		Free Democratic Party	3	Olivier Zschokke Max Alphonse Erismann Hans Müri
Aargau 40	1		Catholic Right	1	Jakob Nietlispach
Aargau 41	3		Liberal Centre	2	Emil Albert Baldinger Albert Ursprung
			Free Democratic Party	1	Josef Jäger
Thurgau 42	5		Free Democratic Party	4	Johann Konrad Egloff Jr. Karl Alfred Fehr Adolf Germann Carl Eigenmann
			Democratic Group	1	Emil Hofmann
Ticino 43	2		Free Democratic Party	2	Romeo Manzoni Achille Borella
Ticino 44	4		Catholic Right	2	Giovanni Lurati Giuseppe Motta
			Free Democratic Party	2	Filippo Rusconi Alfredo Pioda
Vaud 45	5		Free Democratic Party	3	Charles-Eugène Fonjallaz Émile Gaudard Isaac Oyex
			Liberal Centre	2	Alois de Meuron Édouard Secretan
Vaud 46	4		Free Democratic Party	4	Jean Cavat Adolphe Jordan Émile Paillard Camille Decoppet
Vaud 47	3		Free Democratic Party	2	Adrien Thélin Juste Lagier
			Liberal Centre	1	Louis-Charles Delarageaz
Valais 48	2		Catholic Right	2	Gustav Loretan Alfred Perrig
Valais 49	1		Catholic Right	1	Joseph Kuntschen Sr.
Valais 50	2		Catholic Right	1	Henri Bioley
			Free Democratic Party	1	Camille Défayes
Neuchâtel 51	5		Free Democratic Party	4	Robert Comtesse Louis-Alexandre Martin Alfred Jeanhenry Jules-Albert Piguet
			Liberal Centre	1	Jules Calame
Geneva 52	5		Free Democratic Party	3	Alfred Vincent Marc-Eugène Ritzchel Georges Favon
			Liberal Centre	1	Gustave Ador
			Social Democratic Party	1	Alexandre Triquet
Source: Gruner[4]

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. Thomas T Mackie & Richard Rose (1991) The International Almanac of Electoral History, Macmillan
4. Gruner, Erich. Die Wahlen in den Schweizerischen Nationalrat 1848–1919. Vol. 3.