1954 Soviet Union legislative election

Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 14 March 1954.[1]

1954 Soviet Union legislative election
14 March 1954
All 1347 seats to the Soviet Supreme Soviet
  First party Second party
 
Leader Nikita Khrushchev
Party CPSU Independent
Leader since 13 March 1953
Seats won 1050 297
Percentage 78.0% 22.0%
Chairman of the Council of Ministers before election

Georgy Malenkov
CPSU

 Elected Chairman of the Council of Ministers

Georgy Malenkov
CPSU

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 party 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
Against247,8970.2–187,3570.2–
Invalid/blank votes680––609––
Total120,727,826100708120,727,826100639
Registered voters/turnout120,750,816100–120,750,816100–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

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