1906 French legislative election

Legislative elections were held in France on 6 and 20 May 1906. The elections produced an increased majority for the governing coalition between the Radicals (PRRRS) and the left Republicans (ARD), which had held power under the premierships of Maurice Rouvier and Ferdinand Sarrien since January 1905.

1906 French legislative election

← 1902 6 and 20 May 1906 1910 →
All 585 seats in the Chamber of Deputies 293 seats needed for a majority
Leader Ferdinand Sarrien Jacques Piou Auguste Isaac Alliance Left Bloc Parties PRRRS ARD Independent Radicals Independent Socialists Conservatives Parties Liberal Action Nationalists [fr] Reactionaries Progressives[a] Seats won 357 108 66 Seat change 19 16 61 Popular vote 4,115,530 2,571,765 1,238,048 Percentage 46.70% 29.18% 14.05%
Prime Minister before election Ferdinand Sarrien Radical-Socialist Party Elected Prime Minister Ferdinand Sarrien Radical-Socialist Party

Sarrien resigned on 20 October for reasons of health. Georges Clemenceau, also a Radical, replaced him, and remained premier until July 1909, after which he went on to become one of the longest-serving French Prime Ministers. The Bloc des gauches formally dissolved with Clemenceau's coming to power.

Electoral system

By the law of 13 February 1889 [fr], French legislative elections would take place utilising a first past the post system to elect one deputy in each constituency to the Chamber of Deputies, with some arrondissements being divided into multiple constituencies, though most containing only one.^[1]

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Conservatives (incl. ALP)	2,571,765	29.18	78
	Nationalist Party [fr]			30
	Radical-Socialist Party	2,514,508	28.53	132
	Progressives	1,238,048	14.05	66
	French Section of the Workers' International	877,221	9.95	54
	Democratic Republican Alliance	703,912	7.99	90
	Independent Radicals	692,029	7.85	115
	Independent Socialists	205,081	2.33	20
	Others	9,924	0.11	0
Total		8,812,488	100.00	585
Registered voters/turnout		11,341,062	–
Source: Rois et Presidents,[2][3]

Notes

1. By 1906, the Progressive Republicans and conservative Moderate Republicans had reconciled into a single political party, called the Republican Federation, though candidates elected from the party sat in the Chamber of Deputies as Progressive Republicans until 1914.