Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 30 October 1881. The Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council, regaining the majority they had lost in 1863.[1]
The 145 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.[2] There was one seat for every 20,000 citizens, with seats allocated to cantons in proportion to their population.[2]
The elections were held under the new Federal law concerning the elections of National Council members passed on 3 May 1881. The number of seats was increased from 135 to 145 following the 1880 census, and the number of constituencies from 48 to 49; Bern and Zürich both gained two seats, whilst Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Basel-Stadt, Geneva, Schwyz, Ticino and Vaud all gained one.
Voter turnout was highest in Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 95.2% and lowest in Schwyz at 28.3%.
 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
| Radical Left | 39.8 | 75 | +18 | ||
| Catholic Right | 24.6 | 35 | –2 | ||
| Liberal Centre | 20.4 | 22 | –4 | ||
| Democratic Group | 7.7 | 10 | 0 | ||
| Evangelical Right | 6.1 | 3 | –2 | ||
| Independents | 1.4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 145 | +10 | |||
| Total votes | 395,400 | – | |||
| Registered voters/turnout | 637,224 | 62.05 | |||
| Source: BFS (seats) | |||||
| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats won |
Elected members | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zürich 1 | 5 | Liberal Centre | 5 |
| |
| Zürich 2 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 3 |
| |
| Democratic Group | 1 | Johann Jakob Keller | |||
| Zürich 3 | 4 | Democratic Group | 4 |
| |
| Zürich 4 | 3 | Democratic Group | 3 |
| |
| Bern 5 | 5 | Radical Left | 5 |
| |
| Bern 6 | 5 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Evangelical Right | 1 | Otto von Büren | |||
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Jules Schnyder | |||
| Bern 7 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Bern 8 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Bern 9 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Bern 10 | 5 | Radical Left | 5 |
| |
| Lucerne 11 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Lucerne 12 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Josef Zemp | |
| Lucerne 13 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Lucerne 14 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Uri 15 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Josef Arnold | |
| Schwyz 16 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 |
| |
| Obwalden 17 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Nicolaus Hermann | |
| Nidwalden 18 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Robert Durrer | |
| Glarus 19 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Esajas Zweifel | |
| Radical Left | 1 | Niklaus Tschudi | |||
| Zug 20 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Niklaus Moos | |
| Fribourg 21 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Fribourg 22 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Fribourg 23 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Solothurn 24 | 4 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Bernhard Hammer | |||
| Basel-Stadt 25 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Rudolf Geigy-Merian | |||
| Basel-Landschaft 26 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Schaffhausen 27 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 28 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 |
| |
| Radical Left | 1 | Johann Conrad Sonderegger | |||
| Appenzell Innerhoden 29 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Karl Justin Sonderegger | |
| St. Gallen 30 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |
| Catholic Right | 1 | Johann Gebhard Lutz | |||
| Evangelical Right | 1 | Carl von Gonzenbach | |||
| St. Gallen 31 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Rudolf Hilty | |
| Catholic Right | 1 | Wilhelm Good | |||
| Democratic Group | 1 | Carl Theodor Curti | |||
| St. Gallen 32 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Rudolf Moser | |||
| Grisons 33 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Simeon Bavier | |
| Evangelical Right | 1 | Hermann J. von Sprecher | |||
| Grisons 34 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Grisons 35 | 1 | Radical Left | 1 | Andrea Bezzola | |
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Aargau 37 | 4 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 2 |
| |||
| Aargau 38 | 3 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Emil Welti | |||
| Thurgau 39 | 5 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Jakob Huldreich Bachmann | |||
| Democratic Group | 1 | Adolf Deucher | |||
| Ticino 40 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 |
| |
| Ticino 41 | 5 | Catholic Right | 5 |
| |
| Vaud 42 | 5 | Radical Left | 5 |
| |
| Vaud 43 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Vaud 44 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 |
| |
| Valais 45 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Valais 46 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Maurice Evéquoz | |
| Valais 47 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 |
| |
| Neuchâtel 48 | 5 | Radical Left | 5 |
| |
| Geneva 49 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 |
| |
| Liberal Centre | 1 | Arthur Chenevière | |||
| Source: Gruner[3] | |||||
| Party | Seats | +/– | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic Right | 18 | +1 | |
| Radical Left | 17 | +6 | |
| Liberal Centre | 4 | –7 | |
| Democratic Left | 3 | +1 | |
| Evangelical Right | 1 | +1 | |
| Independents | 1 | –1 | |
| Total | 44 | 0 | |
| Source: The Federal Assembly | |||
