# 1919 Swiss federal election

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 26 October 1919. The Free Democratic Party emerged as the largest party in the National Council, winning 60 of the 189 seats.

## Electoral system

This was the first election after proportional representation was adopted.
The country was divided into 25 districts - 20 multiple-member districts, with as many as 32 seats, and five were single-member districts. In each, seats were allocated based on parties' vote tallies.
Every multi-member district saw multiple parties take seats. In some districts, no party took more than one seat.
Unlike the previous Plurality block voting system, each voter now had just one vote.
Switzerland used a system of apparentment, allowing parties to combine votes in the same district.

## Results
### National Council

| | Free Democratic Party | 215,566 | 28.85 | 60 | –43 |
| | Social Democratic Party | 175,292 | 23.46 | 41 | +21 |
| | Conservative People's Party | 156,702 | 20.97 | 41 | –1 |
| | Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 114,537 | 15.33 | 30 | +26 |
| | Liberal Democratic Party | 28,497 | 3.81 | 9 | –3 |
| | Grütli Union | 20,559 | 2.75 | 2 | New |
| | Democratic Group | 14,677 | 1.96 | 4 | –3 |
| | Evangelical People's Party | 6,031 | 0.81 | 1 | +1 |
| | Young Radicals | 15,342 | 2.05 | 1 | +1 |
| | Others | 15,342 | 2.05 | 0 | – |
| Total | Total | 747,203 | 100.00 | 189 | 0 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 747,203 | 98.24 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 13,397 | 1.76 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 760,600 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 946,271 | 80.38 | | |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver ||||||

#### By constituency

| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats won |
| Aargau | 12 | Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 3 |
| Aargau | 12 | Conservative People's Party | 3 |
| Aargau | 12 | Free Democratic Party | 3 |
| Aargau | 12 | Social Democratic Party | 3 |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 2 |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden | 3 | Social Democratic Party | 1 |
| Appenzell Innerrhoden | 1 | Conservative People's Party | 1 |
| Basel-Landschaft | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 3 |
| Basel-Landschaft | 4 | Social Democratic Party | 1 |
| Basel-Stadt | 7 | Social Democratic Party | 3 |
| Basel-Stadt | 7 | Conservative People's Party | 1 |
| Basel-Stadt | 7 | Free Democratic Party | 1 |
| Basel-Stadt | 7 | Liberal Party | 1 |
| Basel-Stadt | 7 | Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 1 |
| Bern | 32 | Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 16 |
| Bern | 32 | Social Democratic Party | 9 |
| Bern | 32 | Free Democratic Party | 5 |
| Bern | 32 | Conservative People's Party | 1 |
| Bern | 32 | Grütli Union | 1 |
| Fribourg | 7 | Conservative People's Party | 6 |
| Fribourg | 7 | Free Democratic Party | 1 |
| Geneva | 8 | Free Democratic Party | 2 |
| Geneva | 8 | Liberal Party | 2 |
| Geneva | 8 | Social Democratic Party | 2 |
| Geneva | 8 | Conservative People's Party | 1 |
| Geneva | 8 | Young Radicals | 1 |
| Glarus | 2 | Democratic Group | 1 |
| Glarus | 2 | Free Democratic Party | 1 |
| Grisons | 6 | Free Democratic Party | 3 |
| Grisons | 6 | Conservative People's Party | 2 |
| Grisons | 6 | Social Democratic Party | 1 |
| Lucerne | 8 | Conservative People's Party | 5 |
| Lucerne | 8 | Free Democratic Party | 3 |
| Neuchâtel | 7 | Social Democratic Party | 3 |
| Neuchâtel | 7 | Free Democratic Party | 2 |
| Neuchâtel | 7 | Liberal Party | 2 |
| Nidwalden | 1 | Conservative People's Party | 1 |
| Obwalden | 1 | Conservative People's Party | 1 |
| Schaffhausen | 2 | Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 2 |
| Schwyz | 3 | Conservative People's Party | 2 |
| Schwyz | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 1 |
| Solothurn | 6 | Free Democratic Party | 3 |
| Solothurn | 6 | Social Democratic Party | 2 |
| Solothurn | 6 | Conservative People's Party | 1 |
| St. Gallen | 15 | Conservative People's Party | 6 |
| St. Gallen | 15 | Free Democratic Party | 5 |
| St. Gallen | 15 | Democratic Group | 2 |
| St. Gallen | 15 | Social Democratic Party | 2 |
| Ticino | 8 | Free Democratic Party | 4 |
| Ticino | 8 | Conservative People's Party | 3 |
| Ticino | 8 | Social Democratic Party | 1 |
| Thurgau | 7 | Free Democratic Party | 2 |
| Thurgau | 7 | Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 2 |
| Thurgau | 7 | Conservative People's Party | 1 |
| Thurgau | 7 | Democratic Group | 1 |
| Thurgau | 7 | Social Democratic Party | 1 |
| Uri | 1 | Free Democratic Party | 1 |
| Vaud | 16 | Free Democratic Party | 9 |
| Vaud | 16 | Liberal Party | 4 |
| Vaud | 16 | Social Democratic Party | 3 |
| Valais | 6 | Conservative People's Party | 5 |
| Valais | 6 | Free Democratic Party | 1 |
| Zug | 1 | Free Democratic Party | 1 |
| Zürich | 25 | Social Democratic Party | 9 |
| Zürich | 25 | Free Democratic Party | 7 |
| Zürich | 25 | Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 6 |
| Zürich | 25 | Conservative People's Party | 1 |
| Zürich | 25 | Evangelical People's Party | 1 |
| Zürich | 25 | Grütli Union | 1 |
| Source: Bundesamt für Statistik |||||

### Council of States

In several cantons, the members of the Council of States were chosen by the cantonal parliaments.
| Party | Party | Seats |
| | Free Democratic Party | 23 |
| | Swiss Conservative People's Party | 17 |
| | Liberal Democratic Party | 2 |
| | Democratic Group | 1 |
| | Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | 1 |
| | Social Democratic Party | 0 |
| | Other parties | 0 |
| Total | Total | 44 |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver |||

#### By canton

| Constituency | Seats | Party | Elected members |
| Aargau | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Gottfried Keller |
| Aargau | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Peter Emil Isler |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden | 1 | Free Democratic Party | Johannes Baumann |
| Appenzell Innerrhoden | 1 | Conservative People's Party | Johann Baptist Edmund Dähler |
| Basel-Landschaft | 1 | Free Democratic Party | Gustav Johann Schneider |
| Basel-Stadt | 1 | Free Democratic Party | Victor Emil Scherer |
| Bern | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Paul Charmillot |
| Bern | 2 | Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents | Carl Moser |
| Fribourg | 2 | Conservative People's Party | Georges Python |
| Fribourg | 2 | Conservative People's Party | Georges de Montenach |
| Geneva | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Henri Fazy |
| Geneva | 2 | Liberal Party | Jacques Rutty |
| Glarus | 2 | Democratic Group | David Legler |
| Glarus | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Philippe Mercier |
| Grisons | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Andreas Laelys |
| Grisons | 2 | Conservative People's Party | Friedrich Brügger |
| Lucerne | 2 | Conservative People's Party | Josef Dürig |
| Lucerne | 2 | Conservative People's Party | Josef Winiger |
| Neuchâtel | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Auguste Pettavel |
| Neuchâtel | 2 | Liberal Party | Pierre de Meuron |
| Nidwalden | 1 | Conservative People's Party | Jakob Konstantin Wyrsch |
| Obwalden | 1 | Conservative People's Party | Adalbert Wirz |
| Schaffhausen | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Albert Ammann |
| Schaffhausen | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Heinrich Bolli |
| Schwyz | 2 | Conservative People's Party | Martin Ochsner |
| Schwyz | 2 | Conservative People's Party | Josef Räber |
| Solothurn | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Casimir von Arx |
| Solothurn | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Robert Schöpfer |
| St. Gallen | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Johannes Geel |
| St. Gallen | 2 | Conservative People's Party | Anton August Messmer |
| Ticino | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Stefano Gabuzzi |
| Ticino | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Adolfo Soldini |
| Thurgau | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Alexander Otto Aepli |
| Thurgau | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Albert Böhi |
| Uri | 2 | Conservative People's Party | Karl Huber |
| Uri | 2 | Conservative People's Party | Franz Muheim |
| Vaud | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Émile Dind |
| Vaud | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Henri Simon |
| Valais | 2 | Conservative People's Party | Joseph Ribordy |
| Valais | 2 | Conservative People's Party | Julius Zen Ruffinen |
| Zug | 2 | Conservative People's Party | Josef Andermatt |
| Zug | 2 | Conservative People's Party | Josef Hildebrand |
| Zürich | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Oskar Wettstein |
| Zürich | 2 | Free Democratic Party | Paul Usteri |