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]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/CN1939_diagramme.png/300px-CN1939_diagramme.png) |
---|
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
---|
| Social Democratic Party | 160,377 | 25.93 | 45 | –5 |
| Free Democratic Party | 128,163 | 20.72 | 49 | +1 |
| Conservative People's Party | 105,018 | 16.98 | 43 | +1 |
| Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 91,182 | 14.74 | 22 | +1 |
| Alliance of Independents | 43,735 | 7.07 | 9 | +2 |
| Young Farmers | 27,708 | 4.48 | 3 | –1 |
| Social-Political Group | 16,891 | 2.73 | 5 | +2 |
| Communist Party | 15,962 | 2.58 | 4 | +2 |
| Liberal Socialist Party | 10,865 | 1.76 | 1 | +1 |
| Liberal Democratic Party | 10,241 | 1.66 | 6 | 0 |
| Evangelical People's Party | 5,726 | 0.93 | 0 | –1 |
| Other parties | 2,665 | 0.43 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 618,533 | 100.00 | 187 | 0 |
|
Valid votes | 618,533 | 96.67 | |
---|
Invalid/blank votes | 21,332 | 3.33 | |
---|
Total votes | 639,865 | 100.00 | |
---|
Registered voters/turnout | 861,266 | 74.29 | |
---|
Source: Mackie & Rose,[4] Nohlen & Stöver |
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
[edit]
In several cantons the members of the Council of the States were chosen by the cantonal parliaments.[5]
- ^ Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1895 ISBN 9783832956097
- ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p1953
- ^ a b Nohlen & Stöver, p1948
- ^ Thomas T Mackie & Richard Rose (1991) The International Almanac of Electoral History, Macmillan
- ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p1956