electionstracker

Switzerland 1959 federal election

What was the result of the 1959 federal election in Switzerland?

Social Democratic Party of Switzerland and Free Democratic Party of Switzerland each won 51 of 196 seats. 68.5% of registered voters cast a ballot.

  • Switzerland
  • Held:
  • Final result
  • ParlGov, read 5 October 2026

Which parties won the most seats?

Final results from ParlGov, read : Social Democratic Party of Switzerland and Free Democratic Party of Switzerland each won 51 of 196 seats, more than any other party; 68.5% of registered voters cast a ballot, down 1.6 points on 1955.

  • Social Democratic Party of Switzerland 51 −2 seats 26.4% −0.6 points
  • Free Democratic Party of Switzerland 51 +1 seat 23.7% +0.4 points
  • Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland 47 0 seats 23.3% +0.1 points
  • Swiss People's Party 23 +1 seat 11.6% −0.5 points
  • Alliance of Independents 10 0 seats 5.5% 0.0 points
  • Swiss Party of Labour 3 −1 seat 2.7% +0.1 points
  • Liberal Party of Switzerland 5 0 seats 2.3% +0.1 points
  • Democratic Group 4 0 seats 2.2% 0.0 points
  • Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland 2 +1 seat 1.4% +0.3 points
  • Seats won
  • Change on the previous election at the right
  • Share of the vote
  • Share at the previous election
  • Change in points at the right

Changes are against the Switzerland 1955 federal election, party by party.

99 of 196 seats make a majority

Key numbers

  1. +1 seats

    Seats gained by Free Democratic Party of Switzerland

    The largest gain in seats compared with 1955. Social Democratic Party of Switzerland lost 2 seats.

  2. 68.5%

    Voter turnout

    Down 1.6 points on 1955.

Seats and votes by party

PartySeats± seats%± pointsVotes
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland51−226.4−0.6259,139
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland51+123.7+0.4232,557
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland47023.3+0.1229,088
Swiss People's Party23+111.6−0.5113,611
Alliance of Independents1005.50.054,049
Swiss Party of Labour3−12.7+0.126,346
Liberal Party of Switzerland502.3+0.122,934
Democratic Group402.20.021,170
Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland2+11.4+0.314,038

± is the change against the Switzerland 1955 federal election, party by party.

Votes by party
  • Social Democratic Party of Switzerland 259,139
  • Free Democratic Party of Switzerland 232,557
  • Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland 229,088
  • Swiss People's Party 113,611
  • Alliance of Independents 54,049
  • Swiss Party of Labour 26,346
  • Liberal Party of Switzerland 22,934
  • Democratic Group 21,170
  • Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland 14,038

ParlGov lists parties with at least 1 percent of the vote or 2 seats, so the rows do not add up to the valid votes.

How many people voted?

68.5% of the 1,473,155 registered voters cast a ballot (1,008,563 ballots), down 1.6 points on 1955. 989,005 of them were valid votes. The lowest turnout of this kind in our data, which begins in 1947.

How do the votes compare with the seats?

  • Social Democratic Party of Switzerland26.4% of votes26.0% of seats
  • Free Democratic Party of Switzerland23.7% of votes26.0% of seats
  • Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland23.3% of votes24.0% of seats
  • Swiss People's Party11.6% of votes11.7% of seats
  • Alliance of Independents5.5% of votes5.1% of seats
  • Liberal Party of Switzerland2.3% of votes2.6% of seats
  • Democratic Group2.2% of votes2.0% of seats
  • Swiss Party of Labour2.7% of votes1.5% of seats
  • Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland1.4% of votes1.0% of seats
Each party's share of the vote (outlined) and of the seats (filled)

The Gallagher index of disproportionality is 2.0 (0 when seats follow votes exactly); the effective number of parties is 5.0 by votes and 4.7 by seats; Social Democratic Party of Switzerland led Free Democratic Party of Switzerland by 2.7 points of the vote.

Time and source Data as of