Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 30 October 1881. The Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council, regaining the majority they had lost in 1863.[1]
The 145 members of the National Council were elected in 49 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]
The elections were held under the new Federal law concerning the elections of National Council members passed on 3 May 1881. The number of seats was increased from 135 to 145 following the 1880 census, and the number of constituencies from 48 to 49; Bern and Zürich both gained two seats, whilst Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Basel-Stadt, Geneva, Schwyz, Ticino and Vaud all gained one.
Voter turnout was highest in Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 95.2% and lowest in Schwyz at 28.3%.
| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats won | Elected members | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zürich 1 | 5 | Liberal Centre | 5 | |||
| Zürich 2 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 3 | |||
| Democratic Group | 1 | Johann Jakob Keller | ||||
| Zürich 3 | 4 | Democratic Group | 4 | |||
| Zürich 4 | 3 | Democratic Group | 3 | |||
| Bern 5 | 5 | Radical Left | 5 | |||
| Bern 6 | 5 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Evangelical Right | 1 | Otto von Büren | ||||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Jules Schnyder | ||||
| Bern 7 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Bern 8 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Bern 9 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Bern 10 | 5 | Radical Left | 5 | |||
| Lucerne 11 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Lucerne 12 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Josef Zemp | ||
| Lucerne 13 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Lucerne 14 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Uri 15 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Josef Arnold | ||
| Schwyz 16 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 | |||
| Obwalden 17 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Nicolaus Hermann | ||
| Nidwalden 18 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Robert Durrer | ||
| Glarus 19 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Esajas Zweifel | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Niklaus Tschudi | ||||
| Zug 20 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Niklaus Moos | ||
| Fribourg 21 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Fribourg 22 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Fribourg 23 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Solothurn 24 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Bernhard Hammer | ||||
| Basel-Stadt 25 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Rudolf Geigy-Merian | ||||
| Basel-Landschaft 26 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Schaffhausen 27 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 28 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | |||
| Radical Left | 1 | Johann Conrad Sonderegger | ||||
| Appenzell Innerhoden 29 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Karl Justin Sonderegger | ||
| St. Gallen 30 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 2 | |||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Johann Gebhard Lutz | ||||
| Evangelical Right | 1 | Carl von Gonzenbach | ||||
| St. Gallen 31 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Rudolf Hilty | ||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Wilhelm Good | ||||
| Democratic Group | 1 | Carl Theodor Curti | ||||
| St. Gallen 32 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Rudolf Moser | ||||
| Grisons 33 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Simeon Bavier | ||
| Evangelical Right | 1 | Hermann J. von Sprecher | ||||
| Grisons 34 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Grisons 35 | 1 | Radical Left | 1 | Andrea Bezzola | ||
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Aargau 37 | 4 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 2 | |||||
| Aargau 38 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Emil Welti | ||||
| Thurgau 39 | 5 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Jakob Huldreich Bachmann | ||||
| Democratic Group | 1 | Adolf Deucher | ||||
| Ticino 40 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 | |||
| Ticino 41 | 5 | Catholic Right | 5 | |||
| Vaud 42 | 5 | Radical Left | 5 | |||
| Vaud 43 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Vaud 44 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Valais 45 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Valais 46 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Maurice Evéquoz | ||
| Valais 47 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Neuchâtel 48 | 5 | Radical Left | 5 | |||
| Geneva 49 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Arthur Chenevière | ||||
| Source: Gruner[3] | ||||||