Soviet Union legislative election, 1954

Soviet Union legislative election, 1954
Soviet Union
14 March 1954

All of seats to the Soviet Supreme Soviet
  First party
 
Leader Nikita Khrushchev
Party CPSU
Leader since 13 March 1953
Seats won 565 (Soviet of the Union)
485 (Soviet of Nationalities)

Elected General Secretary

Nikita Khrushchev
CPSU

Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 14 March 1954.[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 Union120,479,24999.8565120,539,86099.8485
Independents143154
Against247,8970.2187,3570.2
Invalid/blank votes680609
Total120,727,826100708120,727,826100639
Registered voters/turnout120,750,816100120,750,816100
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

References

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