1919 Belgian general election

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]

1919 Belgian general election

← 1914 16 November 1919 1921 →

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

Party Leader Vote % Seats Chamber of Representatives Labour Joseph Van Roosbroeck 36.62 70 Catholic Léon Delacroix 35.19 70 Liberal François Prosper Hanrez 17.65 34 Frontpartij 3.45 5 Catholic dissidents 2.05 3 Middle Class 1.13 1 Combatants 1.08 2 National Renaissance 1.05 1 Senate Catholic Léon Delacroix 43.30 43 Liberal François Prosper Hanrez 30.98 30 Labour Joseph Van Roosbroeck 24.53 20 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. Government before Government after election Delacroix I National Unity (Catholic-Lab-Lib) Delacroix II National Unity (Catholic-Lab-Lib)

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, and the system of proportional representation was modified to use apparentment (combining votes of different arrondissements within a province).

Results

Chamber of Representatives

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Belgian Labour Party	645,124	36.62	70
	Catholic Party	619,911	35.19	70
	Liberal Party	310,876	17.65	34
	Frontpartij	60,814	3.45	5
	Catholic dissidents	36,063	2.05	3
	Middle Class Party	19,939	1.13	1
	Combatants	19,075	1.08	2
	National Renaissance	18,546	1.05	1
	Christene Volkspartij	5,825	0.33	0
	Socialist dissidents	1,181	0.07	0
	Other parties	24,446	1.39	0
Total		1,761,800	100.00	186
Valid votes		1,761,802	94.68
Invalid/blank votes		99,088	5.32
Total votes		1,860,890	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		2,102,710	88.50
Source: Nohlen & Stöver, Belgian Elections[a]

Senate

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Catholic Party	685,041	43.30	43
	Liberal Party	490,046	30.98	30
	Belgian Labour Party	388,011	24.53	20
	Middle Class Party	10,601	0.67	0
	National Union	5,245	0.33	0
	National Renaissance	3,068	0.19	0
Total		1,582,012	100.00	93
Registered voters/turnout		2,102,710	–
Source: Belgian Elections[4]

Constituencies

The distribution of seats among the electoral districts was as follows:^[5][6]

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

Notes

1. The number of valid votes is two higher than the number of votes cast for parties