# Electoral results for the district of Nelson

This is a list of electoral results for the Electoral district of Nelson in Western Australian state elections.

## Members for Nelson

| Member | Party | Term |
| James George Lee-Steere | Independent | 1890–1897 |
| James George Lee-Steere | Ministerial | 1897–1903 |
| John Walter | Ministerial | 1903–1904 |
| Charles Layman | Independent | 1904–1905 |
| Charles Layman | Ministerial | 1905–1911 |
| Charles Layman | Liberal | 1911–1914 |
| Francis Willmott | Country | 1914–1921 |
| John Henry Smith | Independent | 1921–1922 |
| John Henry Smith | Country | 1922–1923 |
| John Henry Smith | Country (MCP) | 1923–1924 |
| John Henry Smith | Nationalist | 1924–1936 |
| Clarence Doust | Independent | 1936–1939 |
| John Henry Smith | Nationalist | 1939–1943 |
| Ernest Hoar | Labor | 1943–1950 |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1940s

1947 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Ernest Hoar | 3,173 | 59.0 | +8.8 |
| | Liberal | Edward Cummins | 2,204 | 41.0 | -8.8 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 5,377 | 98.9 | +0.7 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 62 | 1.1 | −0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,439 | 85.9 | +2.3 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | +8.8 | |
1943 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Ernest Hoar | 2,359 | 50.2 | +21.0 |
| | Nationalist | John Smith | 2,342 | 49.8 | +25.3 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 4,701 | 98.2 | +0.6 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 87 | 1.8 | −0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,788 | 83.6 | −8.8 |
| | Labor gain from Nationalist | Labor gain from Nationalist | Swing | +2.6 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

1939 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | Roy Pearce | 1,527 | 29.2 | +5.0 |
| | Nationalist | John Smith | 1,278 | 24.5 | -13.1 |
| | Independent | Clarence Doust | 1,119 | 21.4 | -16.8 |
| | Country | William Scott | 822 | 15.7 | +15.7 |
| | Ind. Nationalist | Guy Thomson | 479 | 9.2 | +9.2 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 5,225 | 97.6 | −1.4 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 128 | 2.4 | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,353 | 92.4 | +14.4 |
| Two-party-preferred result ||||||
| | Nationalist | John Smith | 2,737 | 52.4 | +9.5 |
| | Labor | Roy Pearce | 2,488 | 47.6 | +47.6 |
| | Nationalist gain from Independent | Nationalist gain from Independent | Swing | N/A | |
1936 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Clarence Doust | 1,609 | 38.2 | +38.2 |
| | Nationalist | John Smith | 1,585 | 37.6 | -1.2 |
| | Labor | Thomas Ladhams | 1,018 | 24.2 | -13.2 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 4,212 | 99.0 | +1.4 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 44 | 1.0 | −1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,256 | 78.0 | −11.0 |
| Two-party-preferred result ||||||
| | Independent | Clarence Doust | 2,406 | 57.1 | +57.1 |
| | Nationalist | John Smith | 1,806 | 42.9 | -12.8 |
| | Independent gain from Nationalist | Independent gain from Nationalist | Swing | N/A | |
1933 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nationalist | John Smith | 1,814 | 38.8 | -27.9 |
| | Labor | Walter Toyer | 1,748 | 37.4 | +4.1 |
| | Country | William Huggett | 569 | 12.2 | +12.2 |
| | Country | Frederick Knapp | 549 | 11.7 | +11.7 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 4,680 | 97.6 | −1.5 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 115 | 2.4 | +1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,795 | 89.0 | +7.3 |
| Two-party-preferred result ||||||
| | Nationalist | John Smith | 2,607 | 55.7 | -11.0 |
| | Labor | Walter Toyer | 2,073 | 44.3 | +11.0 |
| | Nationalist hold | Nationalist hold | Swing | -11.0 | |
1930 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nationalist | John Smith | 2,716 | 66.7 |
| | Labor | Walter Toyer | 1,358 | 33.3 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 4,037 | 99.1 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 37 | 0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,111 | 81.7 |
| | Nationalist hold | Nationalist hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1920s

1927 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Nationalist | John Smith | 2,055 | 50.2 | -1.4 |
| | Labor | Dennis Jones | 1,211 | 29.6 | -8.9 |
| | Country | William Huggett | 829 | 20.2 | +20.2 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 4,095 | 98.2 | −0.4 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 75 | 1.8 | +0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,170 | 74.0 | +14.5 |
| | Nationalist hold | Nationalist hold | Swing | N/A | |
* Preferences were not distributed.
1924 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Country | John Smith | 1,322 | 51.6 | +16.5 |
| | Labor | Thomas Anthony | 986 | 38.5 | +14.3 |
| | Ind. Nationalist | Edwin Ellis | 144 | 5.6 | +5.6 |
| | Independent | Thomas Ladhams | 112 | 4.4 | +4.4 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 2,564 | 98.6 | +0.8 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 35 | 1.4 | −0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,599 | 59.5 | −3.6 |
| | Country gain from Independent Country | Country gain from Independent Country | Swing | N/A | |
1921 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Country | Francis Willmott | 823 | 40.7 | -12.4 |
| | Independent Country | John Smith | 709 | 35.1 | -11.8 |
| | Labor | Thomas Ryan | 488 | 24.2 | +24.2 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 2,020 | 97.8 | −1.7 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 45 | 2.2 | +1.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,065 | 63.1 | −1.6 |
| Two-candidate-preferred result ||||||
| | Independent Country | John Smith | 1,130 | 55.9 | +9.0 |
| | Country | Francis Willmott | 890 | 44.1 | -9.0 |
| | Independent Country gain from Country | Independent Country gain from Country | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1910s

1917 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National Country | Francis Willmott | 1,104 | 53.1 | –1.1 |
| | Independent Labor | John Henry Smith | 974 | 46.9 | +46.9 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 2,078 | 99.5 | +0.1 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 10 | 0.5 | –0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,088 | 64.7 | –3.9 |
| | National Country hold | National Country hold | Swing | –1.1 | |
* Willmott's designation at the 1914 election was simply "Country", rather than "National Country".
1914 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Country | Francis Willmott | 1,593 | 54.2 | +54.2 |
| | Labor | Roger Ryan | 1,347 | 45.8 | -2.2 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 2,940 | 99.4 | +0.1 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 19 | 0.6 | −0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,959 | 68.6 | −7.6 |
| | Country gain from Liberal | Country gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |
1911 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Ministerialist | Charles Layman | 1,113 | 49.8 |
| | Labor | William Johnston | 1,073 | 48.0 |
| | Ministerialist | Robert Uphill | 48 | 2.2 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 2,234 | 99.3 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 16 | 0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,250 | 76.2 |
| Two-party-preferred result ||||||
| | Ministerialist | Charles Layman | 1,144 | 51.2 |
| | Labor | William Johnston | 1,090 | 48.8 |
| | Ministerialist hold | Ministerialist hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1900s

1908 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ministerialist | Charles Layman | 1,075 | 64.7 | +7.4 |
| | Labour | William Spiers | 586 | 35.3 | +35.3 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 1,661 | 97.8 | −1.7 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 37 | 2.2 | +1.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,698 | 75.4 | +3.2 |
| | Ministerialist hold | Ministerialist hold | Swing | N/A | |
1905 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ministerialist | Charles Layman | 556 | 57.3 | +10.7 |
| | Ministerialist | John Walter | 414 | 42.7 | +42.7 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 970 | 99.5 | +0.4 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 5 | 0.5 | –0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 986 | 72.2 | +6.7 |
| | Ministerialist hold | Ministerialist hold | Swing | N/A | |
1904 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Charles Layman | 558 | 46.6 | +46.6 |
| | Labour | Joseph Barraclough | 320 | 26.7 | +26.7 |
| | Ministerialist | John Clarke | 320 | 26.7 | +26.7 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 1,198 | 99.1 | n/a |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 11 | 0.9 | n/a |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,209 | 65.5 | n/a |
| | Independent gain from Ministerialist | Independent gain from Ministerialist | Swing | +46.6 | |
1903 Nelson state by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ministerialist | John Walter | unopposed | | |
| | Ministerialist hold | Ministerialist hold | Swing | | |
1901 Western Australian state election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ministerialist | Sir James Lee-Steere | unopposed | | |
| | Ministerialist hold | Ministerialist hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1890s

1897 Western Australian colonial election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ministerialist | James George Lee-Steere | unopposed | | |
| | Ministerialist hold | Ministerialist hold | Swing | | |
1894 Western Australian colonial election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | None | Sir James Lee-Steere | unopposed | | |
1890 Western Australian colonial election: Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | None | Sir James Lee-Steere | unopposed | | |