1908 Swiss federal election

The 49 electoral districts

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 29 October 1908. The Free Democratic Party retained its majority in the National Council.[1]

Electoral system

The 167 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 Aargau at 83.1% (higher than the 80% in Schaffhausen, where voting was compulsory) and lowest in Zug at 16.1%.

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Free Democratic Party202,73250.91105+1
Catholic People's Party81,73320.5234–1
Social Democratic Party70,00317.587+5
Liberal Centre23,5975.9316–3
Democratic Group14,4143.625–1
Others5,7451.4400
Total398,224100.001670
Valid votes398,22493.32
Invalid/blank votes28,5286.68
Total votes426,752100.00
Registered voters/turnout809,50852.72
Source: Mackie & Rose,[3] BFS (seats)

By constituency

Constituency Seats Party Seats
won
Elected members
Zürich 1 9 Free Democratic Party 8
  • Jakob Lutz
  • Emil Zürcher
  • Friedrich Fritschi
  • Alfred Frey
  • Walter Bissegger
  • Ulrich Meister Jr.
  • Albert Studler
  • Theodor Frey
Social Democratic Party 1 Herman Greulich
Zürich 2 5 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Johann Rudolf Amsler
  • Heinrich Hess
  • Samuel Wanner
  • Karl August Koller
Liberal Centre 1 Johann Jakob Abegg
Zürich 3 5 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Rudolf Geilinger
  • Friedrich Ottiker
  • Emil Stadler Sr.
  • Eduard Sulzer
Social Democratic Party 1 Friedrich Studer
Zürich 4 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Johann Konrad Hörni
  • Jakob Walder
  • David Ringger
Bern 5 5 Free Democratic Party 5
  • Emil Lohner
  • Arnold Gottlieb Bühler
  • Johann Friedrich Michel
  • Johann Jakob Rebmann
  • Johannes Ritschard
Bern 6 6 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Johann Hirter
  • Johann Jenny
  • Eugen Huber
  • Jakob Scheidegger
Liberal Centre 2
  • Gustav König
  • Ernst Wyss
Bern 7 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Fritz Zumstein
  • Fritz Bühlmann
  • Adolf Müller
  • Johann Jakob Schär
Bern 8 4 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Arnold Gugelmann
  • Michael Hofer
  • Friedrich Buri
Social Democratic Party 1 August Rikli
Bern 9 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Jakob Freiburghaus
  • Johannes Zimmermann
  • Eduard Will
  • Alfred Moll
Bern 10 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Virgile Rossel
  • Albert Gobat
  • Albert Locher
Bern 11 3 Catholic Right 2
  • Joseph Choquard
  • Ernest Daucourt
Free Democratic Party 1 Henri Simonin
Lucerne 12 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Peter Knüsel
  • Otto Sidler
  • Hermann Heller
Lucerne 13 2 Catholic Right 3
  • Josef Anton Balmer
  • Candid Hochstrasser
Lucerne 14 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Heinrich Walther
  • Dominik Fellmann
Uri 15 1 Catholic Right 1 Gustav Muheim
Schwyz 16 3 Catholic Right 2
  • Josef Anton Ferdinand Büeler
  • Vital Schwander Sr.
Free Democratic Party 1 Kaspar Knobel
Obwalden 17 1 Catholic Right 1 Peter Anton Ming
Nidwalden 18 1 Catholic Right 1 Karl Niederberger
Glarus 19 2 Democratic Group 2
  • Eduard Blumer
  • David Legler
Zug 20 1 Free Democratic Party 1 Klemens Iten
Fribourg 21 2 Free Democratic Party 1 Constant Dinichert
Catholic Right 1 Louis de Diesbach
Fribourg 22 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Max de Diesbach
  • Charles de Wuilleret
Fribourg 23 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Eugène Grand
  • Alphonse Théraulaz
Solothurn 24 5 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Jakob Zimmermann
  • Eduard Bally
  • Max Studer
  • Adrian von Arx Sr.
Catholic Right 1 Franz Josef Hänggi
Basel-Stadt 25 6 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Emil Göttisheim
  • Christian Rothenberger
  • Johann Emil Müry
Liberal Centre 2
  • Paul Speiser
  • Isaak Iselin-Sarasin
Social Democratic Party 1 Alfred Brüstlein
Basel-Landschaft 26 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Jakob Buser
  • Johannes Suter
Democratic Group 1 Albert Schwander
Schaffhausen 27 2 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Carl Spahn
  • Robert Grieshaber
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 28 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Arthur Eugster
  • Hermann Altherr
Social Democratic Party 1 Howard Eugster
Appenzell Innerhoden 29 1 Catholic Right 1 Adolf Steuble
St. Gallen 30 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Karl Emil Wild
  • Albert Mächler
Democratic Group 1 J. A. Scherrer-Füllemann
St. Gallen 31 3 Catholic Right 2
  • Johann Gebhard Lutz
  • Carl Zurburg
Social Democratic Party 1 Heinrich Scherrer
St. Gallen 32 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Johann Baptist Schubiger
  • Emil Grünenfelder
St. Gallen 33 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Carl Hilty
  • Ernst Wagner
  • Robert Forrer
St. Gallen 34 2 Catholic Right 2
  • Othmar Staub
  • Thomas Holenstein Sr.
Grisons 35 5 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Johann Anton Caflisch
  • Eduard Walser
  • Andrea Vital
Liberal Centre 1 Alfred von Planta
Catholic Right 1 Johann Schmid
Aargau 36 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Johann Rudolf Suter
  • Arnold Künzli
  • Alwin Weber
Aargau 37 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Hans Müri
  • Conradin Zschokke
  • Max Alphonse Erismann
Aargau 38 1 Catholic Right 1 Jakob Nietlispach
Aargau 39 3 Catholic Right 2
  • Franz Xaver Eggspühler
  • Alfred Wyrsch
Free Democratic Party 1 Friedrich Brunner
Thurgau 40 6 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Heinrich Häberlin
  • Carl Eigenmann
  • Adolf Germann
  • Jakob Müller
Democratic Group 1 Emil Hofmann
Catholic Right 1 Alfons von Streng
Ticino 41 4 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Achille Borella
  • Romeo Manzoni
  • Francesco Vassalli
Social Democratic Party 1 Mario Ferri
Ticino 42 3 Free Democratic Party 2
  • Alfredo Pioda
  • Giuseppe Stoffel
Catholic Right 1 Giuseppe Motta
Vaud 43 7 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Isaac Oyex
  • Alphonse Dubuis
  • Félix Bonjour
  • Émile Gaudard
Liberal Centre 3
  • Alois de Meuron
  • Alexandre Emery
  • Édouard Secretan
Vaud 44 4 Free Democratic Party 4
  • Ernest Chuard
  • Camille Decoppet
  • Jules Roulet
  • Jean Cavat
Vaud 45 3 Free Democratic Party 3
  • Henri Thélin
  • Juste Lagier
  • Eugène Bugnon
Valais 46 4 Catholic Right 4
  • Alexander Seiler
  • Joseph Kuntschen Sr.
  • Raymond Evéquoz
  • Charles de Preux
Valais 47 2 Free Democratic Party 1 Eugène de Lavallaz
Catholic Right 1 Maurice Pellissier
Neuchâtel 48 6 Free Democratic Party 5
  • Louis Perrier
  • Paul-Ernest Mosimann
  • Louis-Alexandre Martin
  • Jules-Albert Piguet
  • Henri Calame
Liberal Centre 1 Jules Calame
Geneva 49 7 Liberal Centre 4
  • Théodore Turrettini
  • Gustave Ador
  • Jacques Rutty
  • Alfred Georg
Free Democratic Party 3
  • François Besson
  • Henri Fazy
  • Jules-François Perréard
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. ^ a b 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.
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