# 1911 Swiss federal election

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 29 October 1911. The Free Democratic Party retained its majority in the National Council.

## Electoral system

The 189 members of the National Council were elected in 49 single- and multi-member constituencies 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. There was one seat for every 20,000 citizens, with seats allocated to cantons in proportion to their population.
The elections were held under the new Federal law concerning the constituencies for the election of National Council members of passed on 23 June 1911. Following the 1910 census the number of seats was increased from 167 to 189, although the number of constituencies remained the same. Bern and Zürich both gained three seats, Aargau, St. Gallen and Vaud gained two, whilst, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Fribourg, Geneva, Graubünden, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, Solothurn, Ticino and Thurgau all gained one. A referendum on introducing proportional representation had been held in October 1910, and although it was approved by a majority of cantons, it was narrowly rejected by voters.

## Results

Voter turnout was highest in Aargau at 83.1% (higher than the 80% in Schaffhausen, where voting was compulsory) and lowest in Obwalden at 21.1%.
| | Free Democratic Party | 198,300 | 49.47 | 115 | +10 |
| | Social Democratic Party | 80,050 | 19.97 | 15 | +8 |
| | Catholic People's Party | 76,726 | 19.14 | 38 | +4 |
| | Liberal Centre | 27,062 | 6.75 | 14 | –2 |
| | Democratic Group | 12,610 | 3.15 | 6 | +1 |
| | Circle of Rhine Party | 6,122 | 1.53 | 1 | New |
| | Others | 6,122 | 1.53 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 400,870 | 100.00 | 189 | +22 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 400,870 | 91.58 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 36,840 | 8.42 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 437,710 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 830,120 | 52.73 | | |
| Source: Mackie & Rose, BFS (seats) ||||||

### By constituency

| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats won | Elected members |
| Zürich 1 | 7 | Free Democratic Party | 7 | Robert Billeter Emil Zürcher Alfred Frey Jakob Lutz Friedrich Fritschi Walter Bissegger Johann Jakob Hauser |
| Zürich 2 | 5 | Social Democratic Party | 5 | Herman Greulich Paul Pflüger Robert Seidel Johannes Sigg Robert Grimm |
| Zürich 3 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Werner Weber Heinrich Hess Karl August Koller |
| Zürich 3 | 5 | Liberal Centre | 2 | Johann Jakob Abegg Johann Rudolf Amsler |
| Zürich 4 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Hans Sträuli Friedrich Ottiker Eduard Sulzer Julius Guyer |
| Zürich 4 | 5 | Social Democratic Party | 1 | Friedrich Studer |
| Zürich 5 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Johann Konrad Hörni Jakob Walder David Ringger |
| Bern 6 | 6 | Free Democratic Party | 6 | Robert Stucki Emil Lohner Arnold Gottlieb Bühler Johann Jakob Rebmann Johann Friedrich Michel Hermann Schüpbach |
| Bern 7 | 7 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Johann Hirter Johann Jenny Eugen Huber Jakob Scheidegger |
| Bern 7 | 7 | Liberal Centre | 2 | Gustav König Ernst Wyss |
| Bern 7 | 7 | Social Democratic Party | 1 | Gustav Müller |
| Bern 8 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Fritz Bühlmann Johann Jakob Schär Fritz Zumstein Friedrich Minder |
| Bern 9 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Arnold Gugelmann Michael Hofer Friedrich Buri |
| Bern 9 | 4 | Social Democratic Party | 1 | August Rikli |
| Bern 10 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Alfred Moll Jakob Freiburghaus Eduard Will Karl Scheurer |
| Bern 10 | 5 | Social Democratic Party | 1 | Johann Näher |
| Bern 11 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Virgile Rossel Albert Gobat Albert Locher |
| Bern 12 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 | Joseph Choquard Ernest Daucourt |
| Bern 12 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Henri Simonin |
| Lucerne 13 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Peter Knüsel Otto Sidler Hermann Heller |
| Lucerne 14 | 2 | Catholic Right | 3 | Anton Erni Josef Anton Balmer |
| Lucerne 15 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 | Franz Moser-Schär Heinrich Walther Dominik Fellmann |
| Uri 16 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Josef Furrer |
| Schwyz 17 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 | Anton von Hettlingen Josef Anton Ferdinand Büeler |
| Schwyz 17 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Martin Steinegger |
| Obwalden 18 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Peter Anton Ming |
| Nidwalden 19 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Karl Niederberger |
| Glarus 20 | 2 | Democratic Group | 2 | Eduard Blumer David Legler |
| Zug 21 | 1 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Hermann Stadlin |
| Fribourg 22 | 2 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Hermann Liechti |
| Fribourg 22 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Eugène Descheneaux |
| Fribourg 23 | 5 | Catholic Right | 4 | Max de Diesbach Charles de Wuilleret Alphonse Théraulaz Eugène Grand |
| Fribourg 23 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | A.-F.-L. Cailler |
| Solothurn 24 | 6 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Max Studer Jakob Zimmermann Adrian von Arx Sr. Eduard Bally |
| Solothurn 24 | 6 | Social Democratic Party | 1 | Hans Affolter |
| Solothurn 24 | 6 | Catholic Right | 1 | Siegfried Hartmann |
| Basel-Stadt 25 | 7 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Johann Emil Müry Christian Rothenberger Emil Göttisheim |
| Basel-Stadt 25 | 7 | Social Democratic Party | 2 | Bernhard Jäggi Johannes Frei |
| Basel-Stadt 25 | 7 | Liberal Centre | 2 | Isaak Iselin-Sarasin Carl Christoph Burckhardt |
| Basel-Landschaft 26 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Jakob Buser Johannes Suter Hermann Straumann |
| Basel-Landschaft 26 | 4 | Democratic Group | 1 | Albert Schwander |
| Schaffhausen 27 | 2 | Free Democratic Party | 2 | Carl Spahn Robert Grieshaber |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 28 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 2 | Arthur Eugster Johannes Eisenhut |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 28 | 3 | Social Democratic Party | 1 | Howard Eugster |
| Appenzell Innerhoden 29 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Adolf Steuble |
| St. Gallen 30 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Karl Emil Wild Albert Mächler Eduard Scherrer |
| St. Gallen 30 | 4 | Democratic Group | 1 | J. A. Scherrer-Füllemann |
| St. Gallen 31 | 4 | Catholic Right | 2 | Johann Baptist Eisenring Carl Zurburg |
| St. Gallen 31 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Ernst Schmidheiny |
| St. Gallen 31 | 4 | Democratic Group | 1 | Heinrich Otto Weber |
| St. Gallen 32 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Ernst Wagner Gallus Schwendener Robert Forrer |
| St. Gallen 33 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | Johann Baptist Schubiger Emil Grünenfelder |
| St. Gallen 34 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | Othmar Staub Thomas Holenstein Sr. |
| Grisons 35 | 6 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Johann Anton Caflisch Eduard Walser Andrea Vital Paul Raschein Sr. |
| Grisons 35 | 6 | Catholic Right | 1 | Johann Schmid |
| Grisons 35 | 6 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Alfred von Planta |
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Johann Rudolf Suter Otto Hunziker Alwin Weber |
| Aargau 37 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Hans Müri Conradin Zschokke Hans Siegrist Heinrich Eugen Abt |
| Aargau 38 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Jakob Nietlispach |
| Aargau 39 | 4 | Catholic Right | 2 | Alfred Wyrsch Franz Xaver Eggspühler |
| Aargau 39 | 4 | Circle of Rhine Party | 1 | Josef Jäger |
| Aargau 39 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Gustav Adolf Ursprung |
| Thurgau 40 | 7 | Free Democratic Party | 5 | Heinrich Häberlin Carl Eigenmann Adolf Germann Jakob Müller Oskar Ullmann |
| Thurgau 40 | 7 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alfons von Streng |
| Thurgau 40 | 7 | Democratic Group | 1 | Emil Hofmann |
| Ticino 41 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Romeo Manzoni Achille Borella Francesco Vassalli |
| Ticino 41 | 4 | Catholic Right | 1 | Giovanni Lurati |
| Ticino 42 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 2 | Giuseppe Stoffel Evaristo Garbani-Nerini |
| Ticino 42 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Francesco Balli |
| Ticino 42 | 4 | Catholic Right | 1 | Giuseppe Motta |
| Vaud 43 | 8 | Free Democratic Party | 5 | Alphonse Dubuis Félix Bonjour Émile Gaudard Charles-Eugène Fonjallaz Paul Maillefer |
| Vaud 43 | 8 | Liberal Centre | 3 | Alois de Meuron Édouard Secretan Alexandre Emery |
| Vaud 44 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Camille Decoppet Ernest Chuard Ulysse Crisinel Jean Cavat |
| Vaud 44 | 5 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Armand Piguet |
| Vaud 45 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Henri Thélin Juste Lagier Maurice Desplands |
| Valais 46 | 4 | Catholic Right | 4 | Alexander Seiler Joseph Kuntschen Sr. Raymond Evéquoz Charles de Preux |
| Valais 47 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Maurice Pellissier |
| Valais 47 | 2 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Eugène de Lavallaz |
| Neuchâtel 48 | 7 | Free Democratic Party | 5 | Louis Perrier Paul-Ernest Mosimann Louis-Alexandre Martin Jules-Albert Piguet Henri Calame |
| Neuchâtel 48 | 7 | Social Democratic Party | 1 | Charles Naine |
| Neuchâtel 48 | 7 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Jules Calame |
| Geneva 49 | 8 | Free Democratic Party | 5 | Henri Fazy Marc-Eugène Ritzchel Victor-Marc Charbonnet Marc-Ernest Peter Jacques-Louis Willemin |
| Geneva 49 | 8 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Gustave Ador |
| Geneva 49 | 8 | Social Democratic Party | 1 | Jean Sigg |
| Geneva 49 | 8 | Catholic Right | 1 | Firmin Ody |
| Source: Gruner ||||||