Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 30 October 1887. The Radical Left narrowly retained its majority in the National Council.[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]
Voter turnout was highest in Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 95.5% and lowest in Zug at 18.5%.
| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats won | Elected members | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zürich 1 | 5 | Liberal Centre | 3 | |||
| Democratic Group | 2 | |||||
| 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 | 5 | |||
| Bern 7 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Bern 8 | 4 | Bern People's Party | 3 | |||
| Radical Left | 1 | Johann Friedrich Gugelmann | ||||
| 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 | Democratic Group | 1 | Kaspar Schindler | ||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Rudolf Gallati | ||||
| Zug 20 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alois Müller | ||
| Fribourg 21 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Georges Python | ||
| Liberal Centre | Georges Cressier | |||||
| Fribourg 22 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Fribourg 23 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Solothurn 24 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Bernard Hammer | ||||
| Basel-Stadt 25 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Basel-Landschaft 26 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Schaffhausen 27 | 2 | Democratic Group | 1 | Wilhelm Joos | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Robert Grieshaber | ||||
| 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 | Democratic Group | 2 | |||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Johann Gebhard Lutz | ||||
| Evangelical Right | 1 | Christoph Tobler | ||||
| St. Gallen 31 | 3 | Catholic Right | 1 | Wilhelm Good | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Gallus August Suter | ||||
| Democratic Group | 1 | Carl Theodor Curti | ||||
| St. Gallen 32 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 | |||
| Grisons 33 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Peter Theophil Bühler | ||
| Radical Left | 1 | Luzius Raschein | ||||
| Grisons 34 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Grisons 35 | 1 | Radical Left | 1 | Andrea Bezzola | ||
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Aargau 37 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 3 | |||
| Radical Left | 1 | Hans Riniker | ||||
| Aargau 38 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Emil Welti | ||||
| Thurgau 39 | 5 | Radical Left | 4 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Jakob Huldreich Bachmann | ||||
| 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 | Joseph Favre | ||
| Valais 47 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Émile Gaillard | ||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Maurice Chappelet | ||||
| Neuchâtel 48 | 5 | Radical Left | 5 | |||
| Geneva 49 | 5 | Radical Left | 3 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 2 | |||||
| Source: Gruner[3] | ||||||