Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 26 October 1902. The Free Democratic Party retained its majority in the National Council.[1]
The 167 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 Federal law concerning the constituencies for the elections of National Council members passed on 4 June 1902, which reduced the number of constituencies from 52 to 49. Following the 1900 census the number of seats was increased from 147 to 167; Zürich gained five seats, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Geneva, St. Gallen and Vaud all gained two seats, whilst Neuchâtel, Solothurn, Ticino, Thurgau and Valais all gained one. A referendum on introducing proportional representation and direct elections for the Federal Council had been held in 1900, but both proposals were rejected by voters.
Voter turnout was highest in Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 85.8% and lowest in Obwalden at 21.4%.
| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats won | Elected members | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zürich 1 | 9 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 2 | |||||
| Social Democratic Party | 2 | |||||
| Democratic Group | 1 | Friedrich Fritschi | ||||
| Zürich 2 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 2 | |||||
| Zürich 3 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | |||
| Social Democratic Party | 1 | Friedrich Studer | ||||
| Zürich 4 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | |||
| Bern 5 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 5 | |||
| Bern 6 | 6 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 2 | |||||
| Bern 7 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | |||
| Bern 8 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | |||
| Bern People's Party | 1 | Ulrich Dürrenmatt | ||||
| Bern 9 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | |||
| Bern 10 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | |||
| Bern 11 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Free Democratic Party | 1 | Louis Joliat | ||||
| Lucerne 12 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | |||
| Lucerne 13 | 2 | Catholic Right | 3 | |||
| Lucerne 14 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Uri 15 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Schmid | ||
| Schwyz 16 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 | |||
| Obwalden 17 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Peter Anton Ming | ||
| Nidwalden 18 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Karl Niederberger | ||
| Glarus 19 | 2 | Democratic Group | 1 | Eduard Blumer | ||
| Free Democratic Party | 1 | Rudolf Gallati | ||||
| Zug 20 | 1 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Klemens Iten | ||
| Fribourg 21 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Louis de Diesbach | ||
| Free Democratic Party | 1 | Constant Dinichert | ||||
| Fribourg 22 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Fribourg 23 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Solothurn 24 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | |||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Josef Hänggi | ||||
| Basel-Stadt 25 | 6 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 2 | |||||
| Social Democratic Party | 1 | Alfred Brüstlein | ||||
| Basel-Landschaft 26 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 2 | |||
| Bauern- und Arbeiterbund | 1 | Stephan Gschwind | ||||
| Schaffhausen 27 | 2 | Free Democratic Party | 2 | |||
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 28 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | |||
| Appenzell Innerhoden 29 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Karl Justin Sonderegger | ||
| St. Gallen 30 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Karl Emil Wild | ||
| Democratic Group | 1 | J. A. Scherrer-Füllemann | ||||
| Social Democratic Party | 1 | Paul Brandt | ||||
| St. Gallen 31 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Social Democratic Party | 1 | Heinrich Scherrer | ||||
| St. Gallen 32 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| St. Gallen 33 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | |||
| St. Gallen 34 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | |||
| Grisons 35 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Alfred von Planta | ||||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Caspar Decurtins | ||||
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | |||
| Aargau 37 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | |||
| Aargau 38 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Jakob Nietlispach | ||
| Aargau 39 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Emil Albert Baldinger | ||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Xaver Eggspühler | ||||
| Free Democratic Party | 1 | Josef Jäger | ||||
| Thurgau 40 | 6 | Free Democratic Party | 5 | |||
| Democratic Group | 1 | Emil Hofmann | ||||
| Ticino 41 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | |||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Giovanni Lurati | ||||
| Ticino 42 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 2 | |||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Giuseppe Motta | ||||
| Vaud 43 | 7 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 3 | |||||
| Vaud 44 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | |||
| Vaud 45 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 2 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Louis-Charles Delarageaz | ||||
| Valais 46 | 4 | Catholic Right | 4 | |||
| Valais 47 | 2 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Camille Défayes | ||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Henri Bioley | ||||
| Neuchâtel 48 | 6 | Free Democratic Party | 5 | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Jules Calame | ||||
| Geneva 49 | 7 | Liberal Centre | 4 | |||
| Free Democratic Party | 2 | |||||
| Catholic Right | 1 | Théodore Fontana | ||||
| Source: Gruner[3] | ||||||