Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 27 October 1878. The Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council.[1]
The 135 members of the National Council were elected in 48 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. There was one seat for every 20,000 citizens, with seats allocated to cantons in proportion to their population.[2]
Voter turnout was highest in Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 95.1% and lowest in Schwyz at 26.7%.
| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats won | Elected members | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zürich 1 | 5 | Liberal Centre | 5 | |||
| Zürich 2 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 | |||
| Democratic Group | 1 | Johann Jakob Keller | ||||
| Zürich 3 | 3 | Democratic Group | 3 | |||
| Zürich 4 | 3 | Democratic Group | 3 | |||
| Bern 5 | 5 | Radical Left | 5 | |||
| Bern 6 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Evangelical Right | 1 | Otto von Büren | ||||
| Bern 7 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Bern 8 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Bern 9 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Bern 10 | 5 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Evangelical Right | 2 | |||||
| Lucerne 11 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Josef Martin Knüsel | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Josef Vonmatt | ||||
| Lucerne 12 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alois Räber | ||
| Lucerne 13 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Lucerne 14 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Uri 15 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Josef Arnold | ||
| Schwyz 16 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Obwalden 17 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Nicolaus Hermann | ||
| Nidwalden 18 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Robert Durrer | ||
| Glarus 19 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Niklaus Tschudi | ||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Esajas Zweifel | ||||
| Zug 20 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Niklaus Moos | ||
| Fribourg 21 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 | |||
| Fribourg 22 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 | |||
| Solothurn 23 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Bernhard Hammer | ||||
| Basel-Stadt 24 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Karl Burckhardt-Iselin | ||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Rudolf Geigy-Merian | ||||
| Basel-Landschaft 25 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Schaffhausen 26 | 2 | Democratic Group | 1 | Wilhelm Joos | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Robert Grieshaber | ||||
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 27 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Johann Fässler | ||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Daniel Hofstetter | ||||
| Appenzell Innerhoden 28 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alois Broger | ||
| St. Gallen 29 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 2 | |||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Johann Gebhard Lutz | ||||
| Evangelical Right | 1 | Carl von Gonzenbach | ||||
| St. Gallen 30 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Rudolf Hilty | ||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Wilhelm Good | ||||
| Radical Left | 1 | Johann Baptist Gaudy | ||||
| St. Gallen 31 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Rudolf Moser | ||||
| Grisons 32 | 2 | Evangelical Right | 1 | Hermann J. von Sprecher | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Johann Gaudenz von Salis | ||||
| Grisons 33 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Anton Steinhauser | ||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Johann R. von Toggenburg | ||||
| Grisons 34 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Andreas Rudolf von Planta | ||
| Aargau 35 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 | |||
| Radical Left | 1 | Arnold Künzli | ||||
| Aargau 36 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Rohr | ||||
| Aargau 37 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Emil Welti | ||||
| Thurgau 38 | 5 | Democratic Group | 3 | |||
| Radical Left | 1 | Friedrich Heinrich Häberlin | ||||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Messmer | ||||
| Ticino 39 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 | |||
| Ticino 40 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 | |||
| Vaud 41 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 2 | |||
| Radical Left | 2 | |||||
| Vaud 42 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Vaud 43 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Valais 44 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Valais 45 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Ferdinand de Montheys | ||
| Valais 46 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Neuchâtel 47 | 5 | Radical Left | 5 | |||
| Geneva 48 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 4 | |||
| Source: Gruner[3] | ||||||