Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 28 October 1866. The Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council.[1]
The 128 members of the National Council were elected in 47 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 86.3% and lowest in the Canton of Schwyz at 18.7%.
| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats won | Elected members | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zürich 1 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 3 | |||
| Democratic Left | 1 | Hans Rudolf Zangger | ||||
| Zürich 2 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 3 | |||
| Zürich 3 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 | |||
| Democratic Left | 1 | Johann Jakob Sulzer | ||||
| Zürich 4 | 3 | Democratic Left | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Rudolf Benz | ||||
| Bern 5 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Bern 6 | 4 | Evangelical Right | 4 | |||
| 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 | Josef Arnold | ||
| Schwyz 15 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Karl Styger | ||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Josef Anton Eberle | ||||
| Obwalden 16 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Simon Ettlin | ||
| Nidwalden 17 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alois Wyrsch | ||
| Glarus 18 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Joachim Heer | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Peter Jenny II | ||||
| Zug 19 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Wolfgang Henggeler | ||
| Fribourg 20 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 | |||
| Fribourg 21 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Solothurn 22 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Bünzli | ||||
| Basel-Stadt 23 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Jakob Stehlin | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Wilhelm Klein | ||||
| Basel-Landschaft 24 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Jakob Baader | ||||
| Schaffhausen 25 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Friedrich Peyer im Hof | ||
| Democratic Left | 1 | Wilhelm Joos | ||||
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 26 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Adolf Friedrich Zürcher | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Johann Ulrich Meyer | ||||
| Appenzell Innerhoden 27 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alois Broger | ||
| St. Gallen 28 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Baptist Weder | ||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Johannes Zündt | ||||
| Democratic Left | 1 | Friedrich Bernet | ||||
| St. Gallen 29 | 3 | Democratic Left | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Josef Leonhard Bernold | ||||
| St. Gallen 30 | 3 | Radical Left | 1 | |||
| Democratic Left | 1 | Georg Friedrich Anderegg | ||||
| Grisons 31 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Johann Gaudenz von Salis | ||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Simeon Bavier | ||||
| Grisons 32 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Johann R. von Toggenburg | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Alois de Latour | ||||
| Grisons 33 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Andreas Rudolf von Planta | ||
| Aargau 34 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 3 | |||
| Aargau 35 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 3 | |||
| Radical Left | 1 | Peter Suter | ||||
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Fridolin Schneider | ||||
| Thurgau 37 | 5 | Democratic Left | 2 | |||
| Radical Left | 1 | Johann Ludwig Sulzberger | ||||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Messmer | ||||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Augustin Ramsperger | ||||
| Ticino 38 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Giovanni Polar | ||||
| Ticino 39 | 3 | Catholic Right | 1 | Michele Pedrazzini | ||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Luigi Rusca | ||||
| Radical Left | 1 | Giovanni Jauch | ||||
| Vaud 40 | 4 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 2 | |||||
| Vaud 41 | 4 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 2 | |||||
| Vaud 42 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Valais 43 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Valais 44 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Maurice Evéquoz | ||
| Valais 45 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Neuchâtel 46 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Geneva 47 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 4 | |||
| Source: Gruner[3] | ||||||