1939 Swiss federal election explained
Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 29 October 1939.[1] The Free Democratic Party emerged as the largest party in the National Council, winning 49 of the 187 seats.[2] Due to the outbreak of World War II, there were no elections in nine of the 25 cantons; Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, Schwyz, Solothurn, Ticino, Valais, Vaud and Zug.[3] In what became known as "silent elections", a total of 55 candidates were elected unopposed.[3]
Results
National Council
By constituency
| Constituency | Seats | Electorate | Turnout | Party | Votes | Seats
won |
|---|
| Aargau | 12 | 75,509 | 67,271 | | Social Democratic Party | 258,919 | 5 |
| Conservative People's Party | 168,606 | 3 |
| Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 113,270 | 2 |
| Free Democratic Party | 125,232 | 2 |
| Young Farmers | 41,663 | 0 |
| Ring of Independents | 34,097 | 0 |
| Evangelical People's Party | 27,075 | 0 |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden | 2 | Elected unopposed | | Social Democratic Party | | 1 |
| Free Democratic Party | | 1 |
| Appenzell Innerrhoden | 1 | 3,501 | 2,153 | | Conservative People's Party | 1,640 | 1 |
| Basel-Landschaft | 4 | 28,207 | 17,788 | | Social Democratic Party | 18,841 | 1 |
| Free Democratic Party | 16,448 | 1 |
| Liberal Socialist Party | 11,522 | 1 |
| Basel Farmers' Party, Free Democrats and Independents | 8,864 | 1 |
| Conservative People's Party | 8,767 | 1 |
| Young Farmers | 2,788 | 0 |
| Communist Party | 1,617 | 0 |
| Action Committee for Breaking the Interest Bondage | 259 | 0 |
| Basel-Stadt | 7 | 51,833 | 35,833 | | Social Democratic Party | 81,452 | 2 |
| Ring of Independents | 34,711 | 2 |
| Liberal Democratic Party | 34,202 | 1 |
| Free Democratic Party | 32,087 | 1 |
| Conservative People's Party | 25,373 | 1 |
| Communist Party | 22,784 | 0 |
| Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 14,869 | 0 |
| Bern | 31 | 209,052 | 148,467 | | Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 1,421,518 | 10 |
| Social Democratic Party | 1,351,567 | 10 |
| Free Democratic Party | 674,258 | 5 |
| Young Farmers | 458,062 | 3 |
| Conservative People's Party | 267,642 | 2 |
| Ring of Independents | 169,046 | 1 |
| Liberal Socialist Party | 123,477 | 0 |
| Communist Party | 24,891 | 0 |
| Fribourg | 7 | 40,945 | 28,485 | | Conservative People's Party | 118,997 | 5 |
| Free Democratic Party | 51,815 | 2 |
| Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 24,003 | 0 |
| Geneva | 8 | 50,172 | 31,849 | | Social Democratic Party | 90,591 | 3 |
| Free Democratic Party | 81,438 | 3 |
| Liberal Democratic Party | 42,836 | 1 |
| Conservative People's Party | 34,276 | 1 |
| Glarus | 2 | 10,148 | 7,828 | | Social-Political Group | 6,495 | 1 |
| Social Democratic Party | 4,496 | 1 |
| Free Democratic Party | 4,242 | 0 |
| Grisons | 6 | 37,409 | 28,325 | | Social-Political Group | 64,095 | 3 |
| Conservative People's Party | 56,059 | 2 |
| Free Democratic Party | 28,669 | 1 |
| Social Democratic Party | 15,939 | 0 |
| Lucerne | 9 | Elected unopposed | | Conservative People's Party | | 5 |
| Free Democratic Party | | 3 |
| Social Democratic Party | | 1 |
| Neuchâtel | 6 | Elected unopposed | | Social Democratic Party | | 3 |
| Free Democratic Party | | 2 |
| Liberal Democratic Party | | 1 |
| Nidwalden | 1 | 4,463 | 3,180 | | Conservative People's Party | 1,430 | 1 |
| Obwalden | 1 | 5,461 | 2,275 | | Conservative People's Party | 1,535 | 1 |
| Schaffhausen | 2 | 15,692 | 13,896 | | Social Democratic Party | 11,620 | 1 |
| Free Democratic Party | 9,271 | 1 |
| Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 5,502 | 0 |
| Schwyz | 3 | Elected unopposed | | Conservative People's Party | | 2 |
| Free Democratic Party | | 1 |
| Solothurn | 7 | Elected unopposed | | Free Democratic Party | | 3 |
| Social Democratic Party | | 2 |
| Conservative People's Party | | 2 |
| St. Gallen | 13 | 77,171 | 64,614 | | Conservative People's Party | 317,244 | 6 |
| Free Democratic Party | 213,143 | 4 |
| Social Democratic Party | 128,964 | 2 |
| Ring of Independents | 59,579 | 1 |
| Association of Free Democrats | 38,509 | 0 |
| Young Farmers | 35,309 | 0 |
| Ticino | 7 | Elected unopposed | | Conservative People's Party | | 3 |
| Free Democratic Party | | 2 |
| Social-Political Group | | 1 |
| Social Democratic Party | | 1 |
| Thurgau | 6 | 39,298 | 31,485 | | Social Democratic Party | 49,323 | 2 |
| Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 42,542 | 2 |
| Conservative People's Party | 36,987 | 1 |
| Free Democratic Party | 36,796 | 1 |
| Young Farmers | 13,991 | 0 |
| Uri | 1 | 6,979 | 4,091 | | Free Democratic Party | 3,448 | 1 |
| Vaud | 15 | Elected unopposed | | Free Democratic Party | | 6 |
| Social Democratic Party | | 4 |
| Liberal Democratic Party | | 3 |
| Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | | 2 |
| Valais | 6 | Elected unopposed | | Conservative People's Party | | 4 |
| Free Democratic Party | | 1 |
| Social Democratic Party | | 1 |
| Zug | 2 | Elected unopposed | | Conservative People's Party | | 1 |
| Free Democratic Party | | 1 |
| Zürich | 28 | 205,426 | 152,325 | | Social Democratic Party | 1,306,638 | 10 |
| Ring of Independents | 724,715 | 5 |
| Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 574,284 | 5 |
| Free Democratic Party | 517,470 | 4 |
| Social-Political Group | 338,508 | 2 |
| Conservative People's Party | 287,214 | 2 |
| Liberal Socialist Party | 111,943 | 0 |
| Young Farmers | 104,068 | 0 |
| Communist Party | 98,114 | 0 |
| Evangelical People's Party | 97,178 | 0 |
|
|---|
| Source: Bundesblatt, 29 November 1939 | |
Council of the States
In several cantons the members of the Council of the States were chosen by the cantonal parliaments.[4]
Notes and References
- [Dieter Nohlen|Nohlen, D]
- Nohlen & Stöver, p1953
- Nohlen & Stöver, p1948
- Nohlen & Stöver, p1956
