Soviet Union legislative election, 1962

Soviet Union legislative election, 1962
Soviet Union
18 March 1962

All seats to the Soviet Supreme Soviet
  First party
 
Leader Nikita Khrushchev
Party CPSU
Leader since 13 March 1953
Seats won 604 (Soviet of the Union)
490 (Soviet of Nationalities)
Percentage 99.5%

Elected General Secretary

Nikita Khrushchev
CPSU

Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 18 March 1962.[1]

Electoral system

Candidates had to be nominated by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) or by a public organisation.[2] However, all public organisations were controlled by the party and were subservient to a 1931 law that required them to accept party rule.[2] The CPSU itself remained the only legal one in the country.[3]

Voters could vote against the CPSU candidate, but could only do so by using polling booths, whereas votes for the party could be cast simply by submitting a blank ballot.[2] Turnout was required to be over 50% for the election to be valid.[2]

Candidates

CPSU candidates accounted for around three quarters of the nominees, whilst many of the others were members of Komsomol.[4]

Results

Party Soviet of the Union Soviet of Nationalities
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
Communist Party of the Soviet Union139,210,43199.5604139,391,45599.6490
Independents187162
Against746,5630.5565,6480.4
Invalid/blank votes815706
Total139,957,809100791139,957,809100652
Registered voters/turnout140,022,359100140,022,359100
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

References

  1. Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1642 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Nohlen & Stöver, p1630
  3. Nohlen & Stöver, p1654
  4. Nohlen & Stöver, p1631