Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 28 October 1860. Despite large losses, the Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council, winning 64 of the 120 seats.[1]
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.[2] 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.[2] In six cantons (Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Glarus, Nidwalden, Obwalden and Uri), National Council members were elected by the Landsgemeinde.
Voter turnout was highest in the Canton of Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 86.4% and lowest in the Canton of Zürich at 8.9%.
| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats won | Elected members | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zürich 1 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 3 | |||
| Evangelical Right | 1 | Paul Carl Eduard Ziegler | ||||
| Zürich 2 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 3 | |||
| Zürich 3 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 3 | |||
| Zürich 4 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 3 | |||
| Bern 5 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Bern 6 | 4 | Evangelical Right | 2 | |||
| Radical Left | 2 | |||||
| Bern 7 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Bern 8 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Bern 9 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Bern 10 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Lucerne 11 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Josef Martin Knüsel | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Josef Bucher | ||||
| Lucerne 12 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Lucerne 13 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Uri 14 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alexander Muheim | ||
| Schwyz 15 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Obwalden 16 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Wirz | ||
| Nidwalden 17 | 1 | Radical Left | 1 | Alois Wyrsch | ||
| Glarus 18 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 2 | |||
| Zug 19 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Wolfgang Henggeler | ||
| Fribourg 20 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Anton Engelhard | ||||
| Fribourg 21 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Solothurn 22 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Bünzli | ||||
| Basel-Stadt 23 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Jakob Stehlin | ||
| Basel-Landschaft 24 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Schaffhausen 25 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Friedrich Peyer im Hof | ||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Heinrich Ammann | ||||
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 26 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 2 | |||
| Appenzell Innerhoden 27 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Johann Baptist Dähler | ||
| St. Gallen 28 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 2 | |||
| St. Gallen 29 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 2 | |||
| St. Gallen 30 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Johann Rudolf Raschle | ||
| Democratic Left | 1 | Basil Ferdinand Curti | ||||
| St. Gallen 31 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Grisons 32 | 1 | Radical Left | 1 | Johann Bartholome Caflisch | ||
| Grisons 33 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Andreas Rudolf von Planta | ||
| Grisons 34 | 1 | Radical Left | 1 | Johann Gaudenz von Salis | ||
| Grisons 35 | 1 | Radical Left | 1 | Caspar de Latour | ||
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 3 | |||
| Aargau 37 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 2 | |||
| Radical Left | 2 | |||||
| Aargau 38 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Wilhelm Karl Baldinger | ||||
| Thurgau 39 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Messmer | ||||
| Ticino 40 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Ticino 41 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Michele Pedrazzini | ||||
| Vaud 42 | 4 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 2 | |||||
| Vaud 43 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Jean-Louis Demiéville | ||||
| Vaud 44 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Charles Bontems | ||||
| Valais 45 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alexis Allet | ||
| Valais 46 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Adrien de Courten | ||
| Valais 47 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Neuchâtel 48 | 4 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Dissident Radical Left | 2 | |||||
| Geneva 49 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Philippe Camperio | ||||
| Source: Gruner[3] | ||||||