1859 Belgian general election
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58 of the 116 seats in the Chamber of Representatives 57 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Belgium portal |
Partial general elections were held in Belgium on 14 June 1859.[1][2] The result was a victory for the Liberal Party, which won 69 of the 116 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 31 of the 58 seats in the Senate.[2] Voter turnout was 55.9%, although only 49,672 people were eligible to vote.
Under the alternating system, elections for the Chamber of Representatives were only held in five out of the nine provinces: Antwerp, Brabant, Luxembourg, Namur and West Flanders. Additionally, special elections were held on the same day in the arrondissements of Charleroi, Liège and Mons.
Campaign[edit]
Twelve of the 58 seats were uncontested, of which the Catholics won nine and the Liberals three.[3]
Results[edit]
Chamber of Representatives[edit]
 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | |||||
| Won | Total | +/– | ||||||
| Liberal Party | 15,052 | 54.19 | 31 | 69 | –1 | |||
| Catholics | 12,726 | 45.81 | 27 | 47 | +9 | |||
| Total | 27,778 | 100.00 | 58 | 116 | +8 | |||
| Total votes | 27,778 | – | ||||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 49,672 | 55.92 | ||||||
| Source: Mackie & Rose,[3] Sternberger et al. | ||||||||
The results exclude the voting figures for the Leper Colony seat.[3]
Senate[edit]
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | |
| Liberal Party | 31 | |
| Catholics | 27 | |
| Total | 58 | |
| Source: Sternberger et al. | ||
Constituencies[edit]
The distribution of seats among the electoral districts was as follows for the Chamber of Representatives, with the difference compared to the previous election due to population growth:[4]
| Province | Arrondissement | Seats | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antwerp | Antwerp | 6 | – |
| Mechelen | 3 | – | |
| Turnhout | 3 | +1 | |
| Limburg | Hasselt | 2 | – |
| Maaseik | 1 | – | |
| Tongeren | 2 | – | |
| East Flanders | Aalst | 3 | – |
| Oudenaarde | 3 | – | |
| Gent | 8 | – | |
| Eeklo | 1 | – | |
| Dendermonde | 3 | – | |
| Sint-Niklaas | 3 | – | |
| West Flanders | Bruges | 3 | – |
| Roeselare | 2 | – | |
| Tielt | 2 | – | |
| Kortrijk | 4 | – | |
| Ypres | 3 | – | |
| Veurne | 1 | – | |
| Diksmuide | 1 | – | |
| Ostend | 1 | – | |
| Brabant | Leuven | 4 | – |
| Brussels | 11 | +2 | |
| Nivelles | 4 | – | |
| Hainaut | Tournai | 4 | – |
| Ath | 2 | – | |
| Charleroi | 4 | +1 | |
| Thuin | 2 | – | |
| Mons | 5 | +1 | |
| Soignies | 3 | – | |
| Liège | Huy | 2 | – |
| Waremme | 1 | – | |
| Liège | 7 | +2 | |
| Verviers | 3 | – | |
| Luxembourg | Arlon | 1 | – |
| Marche | 1 | – | |
| Bastogne | 1 | – | |
| Neufchâteau | 1 | – | |
| Virton | 1 | – | |
| Namur | Namur | 4 | +1 |
| Dinant | 2 | – | |
| Philippeville | 2 | – | |
| 116 | +8 |
References[edit]
- ^ Codebook Constituency-level Elections Archive, 2003
- ^ a b Sternberger, D, Vogel, B & Nohlen, D (1969) Die Wahl der Parlamente: Band I: Europa - Erster Halbband, p105
- ^ a b c Thomas T. Mackie & Richard Rose (1991) The International Almanac of Electoral History, Macmillan, p46
- ^ List of members of the Chamber of Representatives (1859)
