Soviet Union legislative election, 1974

Soviet Union legislative election, 1974

16 June 1974

All seats to the Soviet Supreme Soviet   First party   Leader Leonid Brezhnev Party CPSU Leader since 14 October 1964 Seats won 562 (Soviet of the Union) 534 (Soviet of Nationalities)

Elected General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev CPSU

Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 16 June 1974.^[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 Union	161,355,959	99.8	562	161,443,605	99.8	534
Independents			205			216
Against	333,569	0.2	–	245,918	0.2	–
Invalid/blank votes	84	–	–	89	–	–
Total	161,689,612	100	767	161,689,612	100	750
Registered voters/turnout	161,724,222	100	–	161,724,222	100	–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

References

1. Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (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