Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 31 October 1869. 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 Aargau at 85.6% (higher than the 79.1% who voted in Schaffhausen, where voting was compulsory) and lowest in Schwyz and Zug at 22.1%.
| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seatswon | Elected members | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zürich 1 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 4 | |||
| Zürich 2 | 3 | Democratic Left | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Heinrich Fierz | ||||
| Zürich 3 | 3 | Democratic Left | 3 | |||
| Zürich 4 | 3 | Democratic Left | 3 | |||
| Bern 5 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Bern 6 | 4 | Evangelical Right | 3 | |||
| Radical Left | 1 | Rudolf Brunner | ||||
| Bern 7 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Bern 8 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Daniel Flückiger | ||||
| 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 | Catholic Right | 3 | |||
| Uri 14 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Josef Arnold | ||
| Schwyz 15 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Josef Anton Eberle | ||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Karl Styger | ||||
| 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 | Radical Left | 1 | Karl Josef Merz | ||
| 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 | Martin Bider | ||||
| Schaffhausen 25 | 2 | Democratic Left | 1 | Wilhelm Joos | ||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Friedrich Peyer im Hof | ||||
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 26 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Adolf Friedrich Zürcher | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Johannes Hohl | ||||
| Appenzell Innerhoden 27 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alois Broger | ||
| St. Gallen 28 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 | |||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Johannes Zündt | ||||
| St. Gallen 29 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Ulrich Ambühl | ||||
| St. Gallen 30 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 | |||
| Radical Left | 1 | Johann M. Hungerbühler | ||||
| Grisons 31 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Simeon Bavier | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Gaudenz Gadmer | ||||
| Grisons 32 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Johann R. von Toggenburg | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Johann Bartholome Caflisch | ||||
| Grisons 33 | 1 | Radical Left | 1 | Johann Albert Romedi | ||
| Aargau 34 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 | |||
| Radical Left | 1 | Arnold Künzli | ||||
| Aargau 35 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 3 | |||
| Democratic Left | 1 | Rudolf Urech | ||||
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Fridolin Schneider | ||||
| Thurgau 37 | 5 | Democratic Left | 4 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Messmer | ||||
| Ticino 38 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Ticino 39 | 3 | Catholic Right | 1 | Michele Pedrazzini | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Giovanni Jauch | ||||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Luigi Rusca | ||||
| Vaud 40 | 4 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 2 | |||||
| Vaud 41 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Jean-Louis Demiéville | ||||
| 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 | 3 | |||
| Radical Left dissidents | 1 | Louis Constant Lambelet | ||||
| Geneva 47 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | François-Jules Pictet | ||||
| Source: Gruner[3] | ||||||