Federal elections were held inSwitzerland on 27 October 1878. The Radical Left remained the largest group in theNational Council.[1]
The 135 members of the National Council were elected in 48 single- and multi-member constituencies using athree-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.[2] There was one seat for every 20,000 citizens, with seats allocated to cantons in proportion to their population.[2]
Voter turnout was highest inSchaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 95.1% and lowest inSchwyz at 26.7%.
 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
| Radical Left | 34.8 | 57 | –6 | ||
| Catholic Right | 26.3 | 37 | +4 | ||
| Liberal Centre | 23.2 | 26 | +6 | ||
| Democratic Group | 9.4 | 10 | –5 | ||
| Evangelical Right | 5.1 | 5 | +3 | ||
| Socialists | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Independents | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 135 | 0 | |||
| Total votes | 360,542 | – | |||
| Registered voters/turnout | 634,080 | 56.86 | |||
| Source:BFS (seats) | |||||
| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats won | Elected members | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zürich 1 | 5 | Liberal Centre | 5 |
| |
| Zürich 2 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |
| Democratic Group | 1 | Johann Jakob Keller | |||
| Zürich 3 | 3 | Democratic Group | 3 |
| |
| Zürich 4 | 3 | Democratic Group | 3 |
| |
| Bern 5 | 5 | Radical Left | 5 |
| |
| Bern 6 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Evangelical Right | 1 | Otto von Büren | |||
| Bern 7 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Bern 8 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Bern 9 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Bern 10 | 5 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Evangelical Right | 2 |
| |||
| Lucerne 11 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Josef Martin Knüsel | |
| Radical Left | 1 | Josef Vonmatt | |||
| Lucerne 12 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alois Räber | |
| Lucerne 13 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Lucerne 14 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Uri 15 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Josef Arnold | |
| Schwyz 16 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Obwalden 17 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Nicolaus Hermann | |
| Nidwalden 18 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Robert Durrer | |
| Glarus 19 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Niklaus Tschudi | |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Esajas Zweifel | |||
| Zug 20 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Niklaus Moos | |
| Fribourg 21 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 |
| |
| Fribourg 22 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 |
| |
| Solothurn 23 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Bernhard Hammer | |||
| Basel-Stadt 24 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Karl Burckhardt-Iselin | |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Rudolf Geigy-Merian | |||
| Basel-Landschaft 25 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Schaffhausen 26 | 2 | Democratic Group | 1 | Wilhelm Joos | |
| Radical Left | 1 | Robert Grieshaber | |||
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 27 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Johann Fässler | |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Daniel Hofstetter | |||
| Appenzell Innerhoden 28 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alois Broger | |
| St. Gallen 29 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |
| Catholic Right | 1 | Johann Gebhard Lutz | |||
| Evangelical Right | 1 | Carl von Gonzenbach | |||
| St. Gallen 30 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Rudolf Hilty | |
| Catholic Right | 1 | Wilhelm Good | |||
| Radical Left | 1 | Johann Baptist Gaudy | |||
| St. Gallen 31 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Rudolf Moser | |||
| Grisons 32 | 2 | Evangelical Right | 1 | Hermann J. von Sprecher | |
| Radical Left | 1 | Johann Gaudenz von Salis | |||
| Grisons 33 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Anton Steinhauser | |
| Catholic Right | 1 | Johann R. von Toggenburg | |||
| Grisons 34 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Andreas Rudolf von Planta | |
| Aargau 35 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |
| Radical Left | 1 | Arnold Künzli | |||
| Aargau 36 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Rohr | |||
| Aargau 37 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Emil Welti | |||
| Thurgau 38 | 5 | Democratic Group | 3 |
| |
| Radical Left | 1 | Friedrich Heinrich Häberlin | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Messmer | |||
| Ticino 39 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 |
| |
| Ticino 40 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 |
| |
| Vaud 41 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |
| Radical Left | 2 | ||||
| Vaud 42 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Vaud 43 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Valais 44 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Valais 45 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Ferdinand de Montheys | |
| Valais 46 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Neuchâtel 47 | 5 | Radical Left | 5 |
| |
| Geneva 48 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 4 |
| |
| Source: Gruner[3] | |||||
| Party | Seats | +/– | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic Right | 17 | +1 | |
| Radical Left | 11 | 0 | |
| Liberal Centre | 11 | +2 | |
| Democratic Left | 2 | –2 | |
| Evangelical Right | 0 | 0 | |
| Independents | 2 | –1 | |
| Vacant | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 44 | 0 | |
| Source:The Federal Assembly | |||
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