Latvian parliamentary election, 1928
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Parliamentary elections were held in Latvia on 6 and 7 October 1928.[1] The Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party remained the largest party, winning 25 of the 100 seats.[2]
Electoral system
For the elections the country was divided into five constituencies, electing a total of 100 MPs using proportional representation (an increase from 97), with the three seats that had previously been awarded to the parties with the highest vote totals that had failed to win a seat in any of the five constituencies were scrapped.[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 32% of voters took advantage of.[3] Whilst previously parties needed only collect 100 signatures to register for an election,[4] the system was changed for this election, with a deposit of 1,000 lats introduced, which was only refunded if parties won a seat.[3] Combined with the scrapping of the three compensatory seats, this had the effect of reducing the number of registering parties, which fell from 141 to 120.[4] Of the 120, only 66 contested the election.[4]
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party | 226,340 | 24.3 | 25 | –7 |
| Latvian Farmers' Union | 139,173 | 15.0 | 16 | 0 |
| Latgalian Christian Peasant and Catholic Party | 57,336 | 6.2 | 6 | +1 |
| Left Trade Unions | 52,136 | 5.6 | 5 | New |
| Committee of the German Baltic Parties | 43,352 | 4.7 | 6 | +2 |
| New Farmers-Small Landowners Party | 37,435 | 4.0 | 4 | +1 |
| Latgalian Progressive Party | 29,449 | 3.2 | 3 | +1 |
| Latgalian Farmer-Labour Party | 25,902 | 2.8 | 3 | +1 |
| Christian National Union | 25,254 | 2.7 | 4 | +2 |
| Independent Socialists | 22,570 | 2.4 | 2 | New |
| National Union | 20,978 | 2.3 | 2 | –1 |
| United List of Old Believers | 18,150 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 |
| Democratic Centre | 17,604 | 1.9 | 3 | –2 |
| Party of the Orthodox | 17,006 | 1.8 | 2 | 0 |
| Polish-Catholic Latvian Union of Poles | 16,197 | 1.7 | 2 | 0 |
| Mizrachi | 15,145 | 1.6 | 2 | +1 |
| Party for Peace and Order | 14,736 | 1.6 | 1 | –1 |
| Russian Public Workers' Association | 14,592 | 1.6 | 2 | +1 |
| Party of Former Money Depositors | 14,096 | 1.5 | 1 | New |
| Latvian Work Union | 12,820 | 1.4 | 1 | +1 |
| Union of Social Democrats – Mensheviks and Rural Workers | 11,774 | 1.3 | 2 | –2 |
| Agudas Israel | 9,827 | 1.1 | 1 | –1 |
| New Farmers' Union | 7,545 | 0.8 | 0 | –3 |
| Zionist Party | 7,529 | 0.8 | 1 | 0 |
| National People's Association | 7,213 | 0.8 | 0 | New |
| Women's Union | 6,443 | 0.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Latgalian Social Democrats | 6,327 | 0.7 | 1 | New |
| Latgalian Latvian Union | 5,853 | 0.6 | 1 | New |
| Economic Centre, Dischargees, Traders and Industrialists' List | 5,656 | 0.6 | 0 | New |
| Bund | 5,302 | 0.6 | 1 | 0 |
| Radical Democrats | 5,247 | 0.6 | 0 | New |
| Economic Association | 5,179 | 0.6 | 0 | New |
| Union of Christian and Working People | 4,484 | 0.5 | 1 | +1 |
| United Farmers | 4,346 | 0.5 | 0 | New |
| Association of Russian Farmers | 3,976 | 0.4 | 0 | New |
| Jewish Democratic Bloc | 2,496 | 0.3 | 0 | New |
| List of Lithuanians and Catholics | 2,268 | 0.2 | 0 | New |
| Latgalian Russian Small and Landless Farmers' List | 2,068 | 0.2 | 0 | New |
| Independent Farmers of Latgale and Workers' List | 1,922 | 0.2 | 0 | New |
| Orthodox and Public Workers' List | 1,535 | 0.2 | 0 | New |
| People's Work Party List | 1,232 | 0.1 | 0 | New |
| People's Rights and Health Defenders List | 723 | 0.1 | 0 | New |
| Jewish Economic Bloc | 667 | 0.1 | 0 | New |
| Invalid/blank votes | 7,324 | – | – | – |
| Total | 937,207 | 100 | 100 | 0 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 1,182,426 | 79.3 | – | – |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver | ||||
References
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