Austrian Constitutional Assembly election, 1919

Austrian Constitutional Assembly election, 1919

16 February 1919

All 170 seats in the Constitutional Assembly 86 seats needed for a majority Turnout 2,998,297 (84.4%)   First party Second party Third party   Leader Karl Seitz Party SDAPÖ CS DNP Seats won 72 69 8 Popular vote 1,211,814 1,068,382 173,881 Percentage 40.8% 35.9% 5.8%

Chancellor before election Karl Renner SDAPÖ Elected Chancellor Karl Renner SDAPÖ

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Constitutional Assembly elections were held in Austria on 16 February 1919.^[1] The result was a victory for the Social Democratic Workers' Party, which won 72 of the 170 seats. The party was largely supported by the working class, whilst farmers and the middle class voted mainly for the anti-Anschluss Christian Social Party.^[2] Voter turnout was 84.4%. It is generally reckoned as the first free election ever held in Austria.

German citizens living in Austria and Sudeten Germans living in the then newly formed Czechoslovakia were allowed to vote in these elections, despite Czechoslovak objections (and Austrian citizens living in Germany were also allowed to vote for the Weimar National Assembly in the same year).^[3]

The two main parties formed a coalition after the elections, and although it had broken up by mid-1920, a new constitution was agreed on 1 October 1920.^[2] Fresh elections were held on 17 October.

Results

References

Elections and referendums in Austria
As Cisleithania (1848–1918) Imperial Council elections 1848 1867 1871–72 1873 1879 1885 1891 1897 1900–01 1907 1911
Republic of Austria (1918–present) Parliamentary elections 1919 1920 1923 1927 1930 1945 1949 1953 1956 1959 1962 1966 1970 1971 1975 1979 1983 1986 1990 1994 1995 1999 2002 2006 2008 2013 next Presidential elections 1951 1957 1963 1965 1971 1974 1980 1986 1992 1998 2004 2010 2016 European elections 1996 1999 2004 2009 2014 Referendums 1938 1978 1994 2013