1931 Latvian parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Latvia on 3 and 4 October 1931.^[1] The Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party remained the largest party, winning 21 of the 100 seats.^[2] They were the last elections held under the Constitution of Latvia before the 1934 coup d'état and the last competitive elections held under Latvian law until 1993.

1931 Latvian parliamentary election

← 1928 3–4 October 1931 1940 →

Party Leader Vote % Seats +/– LSDSP Pauls Kalniņš 19.23 21 −4 LZS Kārlis Ulmanis 12.25 14 −2 LKZKP Jāzeps Rancāns 8.16 8 +2 SZP 6.33 6 +1 Democratic Centre 6.24 6 +3 LJSP Ādolfs Bļodnieks 5.79 7 +3 LZPA Jezups Trasuns 5.04 5 +2 ADP Paul Schiemann 4.01 5 −1 PA Marģers Skujenieks 2.27 3 New KNS Gustavs Reinhards 2.19 3 −1 ANNCCP 2.12 2 +1 KVDTP 2.12 2 New JZA 1.96 2 New Agudas Israel Mordehai Dubin 1.84 2 +1 APP 1.75 2 New MKRA 1.57 1 0 Party of the Orthodox Jānis Pommers 1.25 1 −1 Mizrachi Mordechai Nurock 1.22 1 −1 LPAPKDS Leontin Spolianski 1.09 1 −1 Orthodox Voters 1.05 1 New LDSTA 0.92 1 0 SNZ 0.87 1 New KZAKSDF 0.86 1 New NSZS 0.63 1 New DVDASAA 0.62 1 New LDS 0.61 1 0 KDLS 0.50 1 0 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. Prime Minister before Prime Minister after Kārlis Ulmanis LZS Marģers Skujenieks PA

Example of ballot paper from Riga constituency

Electoral system

For the elections the country was divided into five constituencies, electing a total of 100 MPs using proportional representation.^[3] The list system used was made flexible, as voters were able to cross out candidates' names and replace them with names from other lists,^[3] a system 35% of voters took advantage of.^[3] Although 103 lists registered for the election, the number of competing lists dropped from 66 to 46.^[4]

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party	186,000	19.23	21	–4
	Latvian Farmers' Union	118,443	12.25	14	–2
	Democratic Centre	60,397	6.24	6	+3
	Latgalian Christian Peasant and Catholic Party	78,881	8.16	8	+2
	Trade Union Workers and Peasants Group	61,272	6.33	6	+1
	New Farmers-Small Landowners Party	56,021	5.79	7	+3
	Latgalian Farmer-Labour Party	48,795	5.04	5	+2
	Committee of the German Baltic Parties	38,805	4.01	5	–1
	Progressive Association	21,929	2.27	3	New
	Christian National Union	21,208	2.19	3	–1
	Party of Former Money Depositors	20,528	2.12	2	+1
	Russian Orthodox and Voters of Labour Nation	20,528	2.12	2	New
	New Farmers' Association	18,981	1.96	2	New
	Agudas Israel	17,845	1.84	2	+1
	United Polish Parties	16,928	1.75	2	New
	Party for Peace and Order	15,192	1.57	1	0
	Party of the Orthodox	12,107	1.25	1	–1
	Mizrachi	11,761	1.22	1	–1
	National Union	11,100	1.15	0	–2
	Women's Union	10,634	1.10	0	0
	Russian Public Workers' Association	10,556	1.09	1	–1
	Orthodox Voters	10,166	1.05	1	New
	Labour League of Latvia	8,851	0.92	1	0
	Association of Russian Peasants and Russian Public Workers	8,298	0.86	1	New
	Workers and Poor Peasants	8,378	0.87	1	New
	List for Riga Germans for Vidzeme	6,138	0.63	1	New
	Trade Association of Railwaymen, Government Employees, Craftsmen and Workers	5,976	0.62	1	New
	Latgalian Latvian Union	5,882	0.61	1	0
	Ceire Cion	5,274	0.55	0	–1
	United List of New Farmers – Small Landowners Party, Economic Centre and Dischargees	5,065	0.52	0	New
	Bund	5,044	0.52	0	–1
	Union of Christian and Working People	4,840	0.50	1	0
	Polish-Catholic Latvian Union of Poles	4,202	0.43	0	–2
	United List of Zemgale Jews	3,700	0.38	0	New
	Old Believers	3,857	0.40	0	–2
	Progressive Union and Democratic Centre	3,786	0.39	0	New
	Unsatisfied New Farmers, Small Landholders and Fishermen	3,288	0.34	0	New
	Courlanders' Association	3,094	0.32	0	New
	Progressive Peasants and New Peasants of Zemgale	3,109	0.32	0	New
	Lithuanian Catholics and Belarusians	3,105	0.32	0	New
	Jewish Progressive Association	2,116	0.22	0	New
	Association of Latvian Tenants	1,806	0.19	0	New
	Latvian Social Democratic Opposition Workers	1,778	0.18	0	New
	Latgalian Land Ploughmen, Radical Democrats and Soldier Liberators	1,556	0.16	0	New
Total		967,220	100.00	100	0
Valid votes		967,220	99.30
Invalid/blank votes		6,855	0.70
Total votes		974,075	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,217,914	79.98
Source: Nohlen & Stöver