# 1902 Swiss federal election

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 26 October 1902. The Free Democratic Party retained its majority in the National Council.

## Electoral system

The 167 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 Federal law concerning the constituencies for the elections of National Council members passed on 4 June 1902, which reduced the number of constituencies from 52 to 49. Following the 1900 census the number of seats was increased from 147 to 167; Zürich gained five seats, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Geneva, St. Gallen and Vaud all gained two seats, whilst Neuchâtel, Solothurn, Ticino, Thurgau and Valais all gained one. A referendum on introducing proportional representation and direct elections for the Federal Council had been held in 1900, but both proposals were rejected by voters.

## Results

Voter turnout was highest in Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 85.8% and lowest in Obwalden at 21.4%.
| | Free Democratic Party | 205,235 | 50.39 | 100 | +16 |
| | Catholic People's Party | 94,031 | 23.09 | 35 | +3 |
| | Social Democratic Party | 51,338 | 12.60 | 7 | +3 |
| | Liberal Centre | 34,928 | 8.58 | 20 | 0 |
| | Democratic Group | 15,053 | 3.70 | 4 | –3 |
| | Bern People's Party | 6,737 | 1.65 | 1 | New |
| | Others | 6,737 | 1.65 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 407,322 | 100.00 | 167 | +20 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 407,322 | 94.36 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 24,348 | 5.64 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 431,670 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 760,252 | 56.78 | | |
| Source: Mackie & Rose, BFS (seats) ||||||

### By constituency

| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats won | Elected members |
| Zürich 1 | 9 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Emil Zürcher Alfred Frey Johann Jakob Amsler Albert Studler |
| Zürich 1 | 9 | Liberal Centre | 2 | Hans Konrad Pestalozzi Ulrich Meister Jr. |
| Zürich 1 | 9 | Social Democratic Party | 2 | Jakob Vogelsanger Herman Greulich |
| Zürich 1 | 9 | Democratic Group | 1 | Friedrich Fritschi |
| Zürich 2 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Heinrich Hess Johann Rudolf Amsler Samuel Wanner |
| Zürich 2 | 5 | Liberal Centre | 2 | Johann Jakob Abegg Heinrich Berchtold |
| Zürich 3 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Rudolf Geilinger Emil Stadler Sr. Albert Kündig Eduard Sulzer |
| Zürich 3 | 5 | Social Democratic Party | 1 | Friedrich Studer |
| Zürich 4 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Johann Konrad Hörni Jakob Walder Jakob Heinrich Hauser |
| Bern 5 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 5 | Arnold Gottlieb Bühler Matthäus Zurbuchen Johann Jakob Rebmann Johann Friedrich Michel Emil Lohner |
| Bern 6 | 6 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Johann Hirter Johann Jenny Friedrich Bürgi Eugen Huber |
| Bern 6 | 6 | Liberal Centre | 2 | Edmund von Steiger Ernst Wyss |
| Bern 7 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Fritz Zumstein Adolf Müller Fritz Bühlmann Johann Jakob Schär |
| Bern 8 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Hans Dinkelmann Michael Hofer Arnold Gugelmann |
| Bern 8 | 4 | Bern People's Party | 1 | Ulrich Dürrenmatt |
| Bern 9 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Eduard Bähler Eduard Will Johannes Zimmermann Jakob Freiburghaus |
| Bern 10 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Virgile Rossel Albert Gobat Albert Locher |
| Bern 11 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 | Joseph Choquard Ernest Daucourt |
| Bern 11 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Louis Joliat |
| Lucerne 12 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Peter Knüsel Hermann Heller Franz Bucher |
| Lucerne 13 | 2 | Catholic Right | 3 | Candid Hochstrasser Theodor Schmid |
| Lucerne 14 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | Josef Anton Schobinger Dominik Fellmann |
| Uri 15 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Schmid |
| Schwyz 16 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 | Josef Anton Ferdinand Büeler Vital Schwander Sr. Nikolaus Benziger |
| Obwalden 17 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Peter Anton Ming |
| Nidwalden 18 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Karl Niederberger |
| Glarus 19 | 2 | Democratic Group | 1 | Eduard Blumer |
| Glarus 19 | 2 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Rudolf Gallati |
| Zug 20 | 1 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Klemens Iten |
| Fribourg 21 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Louis de Diesbach |
| Fribourg 21 | 2 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Constant Dinichert |
| Fribourg 22 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | Aloys Bossy Vincent Gottofrey |
| Fribourg 23 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | Alphonse Théraulaz Eugène Grand |
| Solothurn 24 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Jakob Zimmermann Albert Brosi Wilhelm Vigier Eduard Bally |
| Solothurn 24 | 5 | Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Josef Hänggi |
| Basel-Stadt 25 | 6 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Heinrich David Johann Emil Müry Otto Zoller |
| Basel-Stadt 25 | 6 | Liberal Centre | 2 | Isaak Iselin-Sarasin Paul Speiser |
| Basel-Stadt 25 | 6 | Social Democratic Party | 1 | Alfred Brüstlein |
| Basel-Landschaft 26 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 2 | Jakob Buser Johannes Suter |
| Basel-Landschaft 26 | 3 | Bauern- und Arbeiterbund | 1 | Stephan Gschwind |
| Schaffhausen 27 | 2 | Free Democratic Party | 2 | Robert Grieshaber Carl Spahn |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 28 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Arthur Eugster Johann Jakob Sonderegger Johann Konrad Eisenhut |
| Appenzell Innerhoden 29 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Karl Justin Sonderegger |
| St. Gallen 30 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Karl Emil Wild |
| St. Gallen 30 | 3 | Democratic Group | 1 | J. A. Scherrer-Füllemann |
| St. Gallen 30 | 3 | Social Democratic Party | 1 | Paul Brandt |
| St. Gallen 31 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 | Johann Gebhard Lutz Johann Jakob Gächter |
| St. Gallen 31 | 3 | Social Democratic Party | 1 | Heinrich Scherrer |
| St. Gallen 32 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | Johann Baptist Schubiger Ferdinand Hidber |
| St. Gallen 33 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Carl Hilty Ernst Wagner Johann Jakob Bösch |
| St. Gallen 34 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | Othmar Staub Thomas Holenstein Sr. |
| Grisons 35 | 5 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Johann Anton Caflisch Andrea Vital Eduard Walser |
| Grisons 35 | 5 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Alfred von Planta |
| Grisons 35 | 5 | Catholic Right | 1 | Caspar Decurtins |
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Arnold Künzli Johann Rudolf Suter Jakob Lüthy |
| Aargau 37 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Max Alphonse Erismann Olivier Zschokke Hans Müri |
| Aargau 38 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Jakob Nietlispach |
| Aargau 39 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Emil Albert Baldinger |
| Aargau 39 | 3 | Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Xaver Eggspühler |
| Aargau 39 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Josef Jäger |
| Thurgau 40 | 6 | Free Democratic Party | 5 | Carl Eigenmann Johann Konrad Egloff Jr. Karl Alfred Fehr Adolf Germann Jakob Müller |
| Thurgau 40 | 6 | Democratic Group | 1 | Emil Hofmann |
| Ticino 41 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 3 | Achille Borella Emilio Censi Antonio Soldini |
| Ticino 41 | 4 | Catholic Right | 1 | Giovanni Lurati |
| Ticino 42 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 2 | Alfredo Pioda Giuseppe Stoffel |
| Ticino 42 | 3 | Catholic Right | 1 | Giuseppe Motta |
| Vaud 43 | 7 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Isaac Oyex Alphonse Dubuis Émile Gaudard Charles-Eugène Fonjallaz |
| Vaud 43 | 7 | Liberal Centre | 3 | Alois de Meuron Édouard Secretan Émile Vuichoud |
| Vaud 44 | 4 | Free Democratic Party | 4 | Camille Decoppet Ernest Rubattel Jean Cavat Jules Roulet |
| Vaud 45 | 3 | Free Democratic Party | 2 | Juste Lagier Adrien Thélin |
| Vaud 45 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Louis-Charles Delarageaz |
| Valais 46 | 4 | Catholic Right | 4 | Gustav Loretan Joseph Kuntschen Sr. Raymond Evéquoz Alfred Perrig |
| Valais 47 | 2 | Free Democratic Party | 1 | Camille Défayes |
| Valais 47 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Henri Bioley |
| Neuchâtel 48 | 6 | Free Democratic Party | 5 | Louis-Alexandre Martin Paul-Ernest Mosimann Jules-Albert Piguet Louis Perrier Frédéric Soguel |
| Neuchâtel 48 | 6 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Jules Calame |
| Geneva 49 | 7 | Liberal Centre | 4 | Gustave Ador Édouard Odier Marc-Joseph Bonnet Jacques Rutty |
| Geneva 49 | 7 | Free Democratic Party | 2 | Alfred Vincent Henri Fazy |
| Geneva 49 | 7 | Catholic Right | 1 | Théodore Fontana |
| Source: Gruner ||||||