Belgian general election, 1919

Belgian general election, 1919

16 November 1919

All 186 seats in the Chamber of Representatives All 93 seats in the Senate

General elections were held in Belgium on 16 November 1919.^[1] Although the Belgian Labour Party received the most votes in the Chamber of Representatives elections, the Catholic Party remained the largest party in both the Chamber and the Senate.^[2] Voter turnout was 88.5% in the Chamber elections.^[3]

They were the first elections after the First World War, and the first with universal single-vote suffrage (for men), a change that was sought by and benefited the Belgian Labour Party. The voting age was also lowered from 25 to 21.

Results

Chamber of Representatives

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Belgian Labour Party	645,124	36.6	70
	Catholic Party	619,911	35.2	73
	Liberal Party	310,876	17.6	34
	Frontpartij	60,814	3.5	5
Catholic Dissidents		41,888	2.4	4
Leftist Dissidents		1,181	0.1
Other parties		82,006	4.7
Invalid/blank votes		99,088	–	–
Total		1,860,890	100	186
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Senate

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Catholic Party	685,041	43.3	43	–11
	Liberal Party	490,046	31.0	30	+16
	Belgian Labour Party	388,011	24.5	20	+11
Other parties		14,124	1.2	0	0
Invalid/blank votes			–	–	–
Total		1,582,012	100	93	0
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Constituencies

The distribution of seats among the electoral districts was as follows:^[4][5]

Province	Arrondissement(s)	Chamber	Senate
Antwerp	Antwerp	15	7
	Mechelen	5	5
	Turnhout	4
	Elected by the provincial council		3
Limburg	Hasselt	3	4
	Tongeren-Maaseik	4
	Elected by the provincial council		2
East Flanders	Aalst	5	4
	Oudenaarde	3
	Gent-Eeklo	12	6
	Dendermonde	4	4
	Sint-Niklaas	4
	Elected by the provincial council		4
West Flanders	Bruges	4	2
	Roeselare-Tielt	5	3
	Kortrijk	5	4
	Ypres	3
	Veurne-Diksmuide-Ostend	5	2
	Elected by the provincial council		3
Brabant	Leuven	7	3
	Brussels	26	13
	Nivelles	4	2
	Elected by the provincial council		4
Hainaut	Tournai-Ath	6	3
	Charleroi	11	7
	Thuin	3
	Mons	7	5
	Soignies	4
	Elected by the provincial council		4
Liège	Huy-Waremme	4	2
	Liège	13	7
	Verviers	5	2
	Elected by the provincial council		3
Luxembourg	Arlon-Marche-Bastogne	3	3
	Neufchâteau-Virton	3
	Elected by the provincial council		2
Namur	Namur	5	5
	Dinant-Philippeville	4
	Elected by the provincial council		2
Total		186	93 + 27

References

1. Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p289 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
2. Nohlen & Stöver, pp308-310
3. Nohlen & Stöver, p290
4. List of members of the Chamber of Representatives (1919-1920)
5. List of members of the Senate (1919-1920)