1851 Swiss federal election

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 26 October 1851. The Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council, winning 78 of the 120 seats.Elections to the National Council 1848–1917: Distribution of seats by party or political orientation BFS

Electoral system The elections were held under the Federal law concerning the elections to the National Council, which had been passed on 21 December 1850. The 120 members of the National Council were elected in 49 single- and multi-member constituencies; there was one seat for every 20,000 citizens, with seats allocated to cantons in proportion to their population.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1886 The 1850 law reduced the number of constituencies from 52, but increased the number of seats from 111; Aargau, Glarus, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, Vaud and Zürich gained one seat each, whilst Bern gained three seats. The law also set the election date as the last Sunday in October and introduced a three-year term.

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. In six cantons (Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Glarus, Nidwalden, Obwalden and Uri), National Council members were elected by the Landsgemeinde.

Results National Council

By constituency ConstituencySeatsPartySeatswonElected membersZürich 14Radical Left4Zürich 23Radical Left3Zürich 33Radical Left3Zürich 43Radical Left2Evangelical Right1Paul Carl Eduard ZieglerBern 54Radical Left4Bern 64Evangelical Right3Liberal Centre1Ulrich OchsenbeinBern 74Radical Left4Bern 84Radical Left4Bern 93Radical Left3Bern 104Catholic Right3Evangelical Right1Auguste MoschardLucerne 112Radical Left1Jakob Robert SteigerLiberal Centre1Jakob KoppLucerne 122Catholic Right2Lucerne 133Radical Left3Uri 141Catholic Right1Florian LusserSchwyz 152Liberal Centre1Franz Karl SchulerCatholic Right1Johann Anton SteineggerObwalden 161Catholic Right1Franz WirzNidwalden 171Catholic Right1Franz DurrerGlarus 182Radical Left1Caspar JennyLiberal Centre1Johannes TrümpyZug 191Catholic Right1Silvan SchwerzmannFribourg 203Radical Left3Fribourg 212Radical Left2Solothurn 223Radical Left3Basel-Stadt 231Liberal Centre1Achilles BischoffBasel-Landschaft 242Radical Left1Stephan GutzwillerDemocratic Left1Johannes MesmerSchaffhausen 252Radical Left2Appenzell Ausserrhoden 262Radical Left2Appenzell Innerhoden 271Catholic Right1Johann Nepomuk HautleSt. Gallen 282Radical Left2St. Gallen 292Radical Left2St. Gallen 302Radical Left2St. Gallen 312Liberal Centre1Johann Georg AndereggRadical Left1Johann Matthias HungerbühlerGrisons 321Evangelical Right1Johann Baptista BavierGrisons 331Liberal Centre1Andreas Rudolf von PlantaGrisons 341Radical Left1Georg MichelGrisons 351Liberal Centre1Johann Bartholome ArpagausAargau 363Radical Left2Liberal Centre1Adolf FischerAargau 374Radical Left3Liberal Centre1Friedrich SchmidAargau 383Catholic Right3Thurgau 394Radical Left4Ticino 403Radical Left3Ticino 413Radical Left2Liberal Centre1Rocco BonzanigoVaud 424Liberal Centre2Radical Left2Vaud 433Radical Left2Liberal Centre1Emmanuel-D. BourgeoisVaud 443Liberal Centre1Charles BontemsRadical Left1Vincent KehrwandDemocratic Left1François ThuryValais 451Catholic Right1Alexis AlletValais 461Catholic Right1Antoine de RiedmattenValais 472Radical Left2Neuchâtel 484Radical Left4Geneva 493Radical Left3Source: Gruner

Council of States

References