# 1857 Swiss federal election

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 28 October 1857. The Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council, winning 80 of the 120 seats.

## Electoral system

The 120 members of the National Council were elected in 49 single- and multi-member constituencies; there was one seat for every 20,000 citizens, with seats allocated to cantons in proportion to their population. The elections were held 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. In six cantons (Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Glarus, Nidwalden, Obwalden and Uri), National Council members were elected by the Landsgemeinde.
Compulsory voting was introduced in the Canton of Schaffhausen for the elections, with the canton seeing the highest turnout at 86.4% compared to the 46.5% figure nationally.

## Results
### National Council

| | Radical Left | | 60.4 | 80 | 0 |
| | Catholic Right | | 16.8 | 20 | +6 |
| | Liberal Centre | | 15.9 | 15 | –1 |
| | Evangelical Right | | 4.3 | 5 | –1 |
| | Democratic Left | | 2.0 | 0 | –2 |
| | Independents | | 0.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | | | 120 | 0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 244,774 | – | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 526,693 | 46.47 | | |
| Source: BFS ||||||

#### By constituency

| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats won | Elected members |
| Zürich 1 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | Alfred Escher Johann Jakob Treichler Georg Joseph Sidler Heinrich Hüni |
| Zürich 2 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | Jonas Furrer Karl Adolf Huber Hermann Stadtmann |
| Zürich 3 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | Heinrich Rüegg Hans Heinrich Zangger Rudolf Wäffler |
| Zürich 4 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | Rudolf Benz Ulrich Meister Sr. Johann Jakob Bucher |
| Bern 5 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | Jakob Imobersteg Johann Jakob Karlen Gottlieb Schneider Karl Engemann |
| Bern 6 | 4 | Evangelical Right | 4 | Eduard Blösch Christoph Albert Kurz August von Gonzenbach Gottlieb Ludwig Lauterburg |
| Bern 7 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | Johann Ulrich Gfeller Karl Karrer Samuel Lehmann Rudolf Schmid |
| Bern 8 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | Johann Bützberger Johann Rudolf Vogel Jakob Steiner Johannes Hubler |
| Bern 9 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | Jakob Stämpfli Johann Rudolf Schneider Johann August Weingart |
| Bern 10 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | Paul Migy Édouard Carlin Cyprien Revel Xavier Stockmar |
| Lucerne 11 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Josef Martin Knüsel |
| Lucerne 11 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Josef Bucher |
| Lucerne 12 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | Philipp Anton von Segesser Alois Kopp |
| Lucerne 13 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | Casimir Pfyffer Josef Sigmund Bühler Anton Schnyder |
| Uri 14 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Florian Lusser |
| Schwyz 15 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | Karl Styger Josef Anton Georg Büeler |
| Obwalden 16 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Wirz |
| Nidwalden 17 | 1 | Radical Left | 1 | Melchior Joller |
| Glarus 18 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 2 | Joachim Heer Peter Jenny |
| Zug 19 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Konrad Bossard |
| Fribourg 20 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 | François-Xavier Bondallaz Alfred Vonderweid |
| Fribourg 20 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | J. F. L. Engelhard |
| Fribourg 21 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | Louis de Wuilleret Hubert Charles |
| Solothurn 22 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | Simon Kaiser Benedikt von Arx |
| Solothurn 22 | 3 | Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Bünzli |
| Basel-Stadt 23 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Jakob Stehlin |
| Basel-Landschaft 24 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 | Stephan Gutzwiller Daniel Bieder |
| Schaffhausen 25 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 | Friedrich Peyer im Hof Johann Georg Fuog |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 26 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Johann Konrad Oertli |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 26 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Adolf Friedrich Zürcher |
| Appenzell Innerhoden 27 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Josef Anton Fässler |
| St. Gallen 28 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 | Wilhelm Matthias Naeff Joseph Marzell Hoffmann |
| St. Gallen 29 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 | Christian Rohrer Josef Guldin |
| St. Gallen 30 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 | Abraham Raschle Benedikt Schubiger |
| St. Gallen 31 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Johann Joseph Müller |
| St. Gallen 31 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Johann Matthias Hungerbühler |
| Grisons 32 | 1 | Evangelical Right | 1 | Johann Andreas Sprecher |
| Grisons 33 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Andreas Rudolf von Planta |
| Grisons 34 | 1 | Radical Left | 1 | Georg Michel |
| Grisons 35 | 1 | Radical Left | 1 | Caspar de Latour |
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 | Samuel Frey Carl Feer-Herzog |
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Radical Left | 1 | Friedrich Frey-Herosé |
| Aargau 37 | 4 | Radical Left | 2 | Johann Peter Bruggisser Franz Waller |
| Aargau 37 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 2 | Johann Rudolf Ringier Gottlieb Jäger |
| Aargau 38 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | Adolf Hauser Augustin Keller |
| Aargau 38 | 3 | Catholic Right | 1 | Wilhelm Karl Baldinger |
| Thurgau 39 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 | Johann Ludwig Sulzberger Johann Georg Kreis Johann Messmer |
| Thurgau 39 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Baptist von Streng |
| Ticino 40 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | Cesare Bernasconi Giacomo Luvini Giovanni Battista Ramelli |
| Ticino 41 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | Giovanni Battista Pioda Giovanni Jauch Giuseppe Patocchi |
| Vaud 42 | 4 | Radical Left | 2 | Jules Martin Louis Blanchenay |
| Vaud 42 | 4 | Democratic Left | 1 | Constant Fornerod |
| Vaud 42 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Édouard Dapples |
| Vaud 43 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | Charles Estoppey Samuel Déglon |
| Vaud 43 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Jean-Louis Demiéville |
| Vaud 44 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | Louis-Henri Delarageaz Jean-Louis Ancrenaz |
| Vaud 44 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Charles Bontems |
| Valais 45 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alexis Allet |
| Valais 46 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Adrien de Courten |
| Valais 47 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | Antoine Luder Camille de Werra |
| Neuchâtel 48 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | Alexis-Marie Piaget Louis Grandpierre Louis Constant Lambelet Gustave Irlet |
| Geneva 49 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | James Fazy Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel |
| Geneva 49 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Philippe Camperio |
| Source: Gruner ||||||

### Council of States

| Party | Party | Seats | +/– |
| | Catholic Right | 14 | +4 |
| | Radical Left | 13 | –1 |
| | Liberal Centre | 11 | –3 |
| | Democratic Left | 0 | –1 |
| | Evangelical Right | 0 | –1 |
| | Independents | 2 | 0 |
| | Vacant | 4 | +2 |
| Total | Total | 44 | 0 |
| Source: Federal Assembly ||||