1919 Austrian Constituent Assembly election

1919 Austrian Constituent Assembly election
	16 February 1919
	16 February 1919
All 170 seats in the Constituent Assembly; 86 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	2,998,297 (84.4%)
Chancellor before election; Karl Renner; SDAPÖ	Elected Chancellor ; Karl Renner; SDAPÖ

Constituent Assembly elections were held in Austria on 16 February 1919,[1] and were the first election in which all women were allowed to vote.[2] German citizens living in Austria and Sudeten Germans living in the newly-formed Czechoslovakia were also allowed to vote in the elections, despite Czechoslovak objections. Austrian citizens living in Germany were also allowed to vote in the elections for the Weimar National Assembly in the same year.[3]

The Social Democratic Workers' Party emerged as the largest party, winning 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.[4] Voter turnout was 84.4%.

The first meeting of the assembly was on 4 March 1919. The Sudeten German Social Democrats organised a series of demonstrations in support of their right of self-determination. Across seven cities 54 persons were killed and another 84 wounded by the Czech military and police.[5]

The two main parties, the SDAPÖ and the CS, formed a coalition government after the elections. Although it had broken up by mid-1920, a new constitution was agreed on 1 October 1920.[4] Fresh elections were held on 17 October.

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Social Democratic Workers' Party	1,211,393	40.76	72
	Christian Social Party	687,465	23.13	47
	Lower Austrian Farmers' Union	222,304	7.48	12
	German Nationals Party	174,738	5.88	8
	United Czechoslovak Parties	67,396	2.27	1
	German Democrats	64,073	2.16	3
	Christian Social Citizens 'and Workers' Party	62,099	2.09	0
	German People's Party	59,919	2.02	2
	German Freedom and Order Party	56,306	1.89	5
	Tyrolean Farmers' Association	50,361	1.69	3
	Centrist Democrats	48,995	1.13	1
	Styrian Farmers' Party	47,021	1.58	3
	National Democratic Party	46,507	1.56	0
	Carinthian Farmers' Association	33,496	1.13	2
	Tyrolean People's Club	46,030	1.55	7
	National-Socialist Workers' Party	23,252	0.78	0
	German Peoples' Election Committee	15,430	0.52	1
	Democrats	15,053	0.51	0
	Democratic Association of Cities	12,336	0.41	1
	Liberal Corporate Association of Salzburg	8,507	0.29	1
	Jewish National Party	7,770	0.26	1
	Democratic Middle-class Party	5,960	0.20	0
	Democratic Economic Party	3,828	0.13	0
	German-Austrian People's Party	1,645	0.05	0
	Economic People's Party	411	0.01	0
Invalid/blank votes		25,239	–	–
Total		2,997,534	100	170
Registered voters/turnout		3,547,742	84.49	–
Source: Government of Austria

Notes

Lower Austrian Farmers' Union, Christian Social Citizens 'and Workers' Party, Tyrolean Farmers' Association and Tyrolean Peoples' Club

References

Nohlen, Dieter; Stöver, Philip (31 May 2010). Elections in Europe: A data handbook. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft. p. 196. ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7.
"85 Jahre allgemeines Frauenwahlrecht in Österreich". 2011-03-06. Archived from the original on 2011-03-06. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
AUSTRIA VOTES TODAY. - German Part of Former Dual Monarchy Chooses Its Constituent Assembly., The New York Times, February 16, 1919 (PDF)
Nohlen & Stöver, p173
Suppan, Arnold. "Austrians, Czechs, and Sudeten Germans as a Community of Conflict in the Twentieth Century" (PDF). conservancy.umn.edu. Center for Austrian Studies, Minnesota. Retrieved 8 February 2018.

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[1] Lower Austrian Farmers' Union, Christian Social Citizens 'and Workers' Party, Tyrolean Farmers' Association and Tyrolean Peoples' Club

[2] Nohlen, Dieter; Stöver, Philip (31 May 2010). Elections in Europe: A data handbook. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft. p. 196. ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7.

[3] "85 Jahre allgemeines Frauenwahlrecht in Österreich". 2011-03-06. Archived from the original on 2011-03-06. Retrieved 2019-06-14.

[4] AUSTRIA VOTES TODAY. - German Part of Former Dual Monarchy Chooses Its Constituent Assembly., The New York Times, February 16, 1919 (PDF)

[NS-5] Nohlen & Stöver, p173

[Suppan-6] Suppan, Arnold. "Austrians, Czechs, and Sudeten Germans as a Community of Conflict in the Twentieth Century" (PDF). conservancy.umn.edu. Center for Austrian Studies, Minnesota. Retrieved 8 February 2018.