1887 Swiss federal election

The 49 electoral districts

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 30 October 1887. The Radical Left narrowly 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

Voter turnout was highest in Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 95.5% and lowest in Zug at 18.5%.

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Radical Left		40.2	73	–1
	Catholic Right		28.3	35	–2
	Liberal Centre		15.9	19	+1
	Democratic Group		9.4	14	–1
	Evangelical Right		3.4	4	+3
	Socialists		1.3	0	0
	Independents		1.5	0	0
Total				145	0
Total votes		359,317	–
Registered voters/turnout		649,229	55.35
Source: BFS (seats)

By constituency

Constituency	Seats	Party		Seats won	Elected members
Zürich 1	5		Liberal Centre	3	Konrad Cramer Ulrich Meister Jr. Wilhelm Hertenstein
			Democratic Group	2	Arnold Syfrig Johann Jakob Schäppi
Zürich 2	4		Liberal Centre	3	Johann Heinrich Bühler Heinrich Landis Johann Jakob Abegg
			Democratic Group	1	Johann Jakob Keller
Zürich 3	4		Democratic Group	4	Rudolf Geilinger Johannes Stössel Ludwig Forrer Friedrich Salomon Vögelin
Zürich 4	3		Democratic Group	3	Friedrich Scheuchzer Johannes Moser Johann Jakob Sulzer
Bern 5	5		Radical Left	5	Matthäus Zurbuchen Johann Jakob Rebmann Jakob Scherz Johann Zürcher Carl Samuel Zyro
Bern 6	5		Radical Left	5	Johann Jakob Hauser Karl Stämpfli Rudolf Rohr Rudolf Brunner Eduard Müller
Bern 7	4		Radical Left	4	Fritz Bühlmann Karl Schenk Gottlieb Riem Gottlieb Berger
Bern 8	4		Bern People's Party	3	Johannes Schär Emil Elsässer Ulrich Burkhalter
			Radical Left	1	Johann Friedrich Gugelmann
Bern 9	4		Radical Left	4	Eduard Bähler Eduard Marti Johannes Zimmermann Rudolf Häni
Bern 10	5		Radical Left	5	Ernest Francillon Henri Cuenat Pierre Jolissaint Joseph Stockmar 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	Candid Hochstrasser Josef Erni
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	Vital Schwander Sr. Fridolin Holdener Nikolaus Benziger
Obwalden 17	1		Catholic Right	1	Nicolaus Hermann
Nidwalden 18	1		Catholic Right	1	Robert Durrer
Glarus 19	2		Democratic Group	1	Kaspar Schindler
			Liberal Centre	1	Rudolf Gallati
Zug 20	1		Catholic Right	1	Alois Müller
Fribourg 21	2		Catholic Right	1	Georges Python
			Liberal Centre		Georges Cressier
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 Wilhelm Vigier Albert Brosi
			Liberal Centre	1	Bernard Hammer
Basel-Stadt 25	3		Radical Left	3	Karl Burckhardt-Iselin Eduard Eckenstein Ernst Brenner
Basel-Landschaft 26	3		Radical Left	3	Ambrosius Rosenmund Johann Jakob Stutz Gédéon Thommen
Schaffhausen 27	2		Democratic Group	1	Wilhelm Joos
			Radical Left	1	Robert Grieshaber
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		Liberal Centre	3	Max Alphonse Erismann Johann Rohr Peter Emil Isler
			Radical Left	1	Hans Riniker
Aargau 38	3		Catholic Right	2	Emil Albert Baldinger Arnold Münch
			Liberal Centre	1	Emil Welti
Thurgau 39	5		Radical Left	4	Friedrich Heinrich Häberlin Johann Philipp Heitz Gustav Merkle Johann Jakob Schümperlin
			Liberal Centre	1	Jakob Huldreich Bachmann
Ticino 40	2		Radical Left	2	Costantino Bernasconi Leone de Stoppani
Ticino 41	5		Catholic Right	5	Filippo Bonzanigo Martino Pedrazzini Giovanni Dazzoni Ignazio Polar Agostino Gatti
Vaud 42	5		Radical Left	5	Louis Ruchonnet Louis Chausson Charles-Eugène Fonjallaz Eugène Ruffy Louis Paschoud
Vaud 43	4		Radical Left	4	Jacques-François Viquerat Louis Déglon Jean Cavat Ami Campiche
Vaud 44	3		Radical Left	3	Adrien Thélin Jules Colomb Charles Baud
Valais 45	2		Catholic Right	2	Hans Anton von Roten Victor de Chastonay
Valais 46	1		Catholic Right	1	Joseph Favre
Valais 47	2		Radical Left	1	Émile Gaillard
			Liberal Centre	1	Maurice Chappelet
Neuchâtel 48	5		Radical Left	5	Numa Droz Robert Comtesse Henri Morel Arnold Grosjean Charles-Émile Tissot
Geneva 49	5		Radical Left	3	Adrien Lachenal Georges Favon Antoine Carteret
			Liberal Centre	2	Ernest Pictet Jean-Étienne Dufour
Source: Gruner[3]

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.