1931 Latvian parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Latvia on 3 and 4 October 1931.[1] The Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party remained the largest party, winning 21 of the 100 seats.[2] They were the last elections held under the Constitution of Latvia before the 1934 coup d'état and the last competitive elections held under Latvian law until 1993.
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Electoral system
For the elections the country was divided into five constituencies, electing a total of 100 MPs using proportional representation.[3] The list system used was made flexible, as voters were able to cross out candidates' names and replace them with names from other lists,[3] a system 35% of voters took advantage of.[3] Although 103 lists registered for the election, the number of competing lists dropped from 66 to 46.[4]
Results
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party | 186,000 | 19.23 | 21 | –4 | |
Latvian Farmers' Union | 118,443 | 12.25 | 14 | –2 | |
Democratic Centre | 60,397 | 6.24 | 6 | +3 | |
Latgalian Christian Peasant and Catholic Party | 78,881 | 8.16 | 8 | +2 | |
Trade Union Workers and Peasants Group | 61,272 | 6.33 | 6 | +1 | |
New Farmers-Small Landowners Party | 56,021 | 5.79 | 7 | +3 | |
Latgalian Farmer-Labour Party | 48,795 | 5.04 | 5 | +2 | |
Committee of the German Baltic Parties | 38,805 | 4.01 | 5 | –1 | |
Progressive Association | 21,929 | 2.27 | 3 | New | |
Christian National Union | 21,208 | 2.19 | 3 | –1 | |
Party of Former Money Depositors | 20,528 | 2.12 | 2 | +1 | |
Russian Orthodox and Voters of Labour Nation | 20,528 | 2.12 | 2 | New | |
New Farmers' Association | 18,981 | 1.96 | 2 | New | |
Agudas Israel | 17,845 | 1.84 | 2 | +1 | |
United Polish Parties | 16,928 | 1.75 | 2 | New | |
Party for Peace and Order | 15,192 | 1.57 | 1 | 0 | |
Party of the Orthodox | 12,107 | 1.25 | 1 | –1 | |
Mizrachi | 11,761 | 1.22 | 1 | –1 | |
National Union | 11,100 | 1.15 | 0 | –2 | |
Women's Union | 10,634 | 1.10 | 0 | 0 | |
Russian Public Workers' Association | 10,556 | 1.09 | 1 | –1 | |
Orthodox Voters | 10,166 | 1.05 | 1 | New | |
Labour League of Latvia | 8,851 | 0.92 | 1 | 0 | |
Association of Russian Peasants and Russian Public Workers | 8,298 | 0.86 | 1 | New | |
Workers and Poor Peasants | 8,378 | 0.87 | 1 | New | |
List for Riga Germans for Vidzeme | 6,138 | 0.63 | 1 | New | |
Trade Association of Railwaymen, Government Employees, Craftsmen and Workers | 5,976 | 0.62 | 1 | New | |
Latgalian Latvian Union | 5,882 | 0.61 | 1 | 0 | |
Ceire Cion | 5,274 | 0.55 | 0 | –1 | |
United List of New Farmers – Small Landowners Party, Economic Centre and Dischargees | 5,065 | 0.52 | 0 | New | |
Bund | 5,044 | 0.52 | 0 | –1 | |
Union of Christian and Working People | 4,840 | 0.50 | 1 | 0 | |
Polish-Catholic Latvian Union of Poles | 4,202 | 0.43 | 0 | –2 | |
United List of Zemgale Jews | 3,700 | 0.38 | 0 | New | |
Old Believers | 3,857 | 0.40 | 0 | –2 | |
Progressive Union and Democratic Centre | 3,786 | 0.39 | 0 | New | |
Unsatisfied New Farmers, Small Landholders and Fishermen | 3,288 | 0.34 | 0 | New | |
Courlanders' Association | 3,094 | 0.32 | 0 | New | |
Progressive Peasants and New Peasants of Zemgale | 3,109 | 0.32 | 0 | New | |
Lithuanian Catholics and Belarusians | 3,105 | 0.32 | 0 | New | |
Jewish Progressive Association | 2,116 | 0.22 | 0 | New | |
Association of Latvian Tenants | 1,806 | 0.19 | 0 | New | |
Latvian Social Democratic Opposition Workers | 1,778 | 0.18 | 0 | New | |
Latgalian Land Ploughmen, Radical Democrats and Soldier Liberators | 1,556 | 0.16 | 0 | New | |
Total | 967,220 | 100.00 | 100 | 0 | |
Valid votes | 967,220 | 99.30 | |||
Invalid/blank votes | 6,855 | 0.70 | |||
Total votes | 974,075 | 100.00 | |||
Registered voters/turnout | 1,217,914 | 79.98 | |||
Source: Nohlen & Stöver |
References
- Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1122 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
- Nohlen & Stöver, p1143
- Nohlen & Stöver, p1113
- Nohlen & Stöver, p1105