1979 Swiss federal election

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 21 October 1979. The Social Democratic Party and the Free Democratic Party emerged as the largest parties in the National Council, both winning 51 of the 200 seats.

Results

National Council

By constituency

Constituency	Seats	Electorate	Turnout	Party		Votes	Seats won
Aargau	14	268,819	122,659	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	467,304	4
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	380,057	4
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	347,187	3
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss People's Party	234,691	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Ring of Independents	93,658	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Evangelical People's Party	85,202	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Republican Movement	36,056	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	National Action	27,145	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Revolutionary Marxist League	15,212	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Liberal European Federalist Party	3,656	0
Appenzell Ausserrhoden	2	Elected unopposed		style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party		1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party		1
Appenzell Innerrhoden	1	8,174	1,964	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	1,853	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Others	54	0
Basel-Landschaft	7	134,554	57,940	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	126,256	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	107,104	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	46,284	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss People's Party	42,341	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Ring of Independents	31,500	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss Progressive Organisations	28,506	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Evangelical People's Party	15,472	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Party of Labour	4,118	0
Basel-Stadt	7	140,392	55,356	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	128,153	3
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	54,225	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	53,570	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Liberal Party	43,148	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss Progressive Organisations	39,576	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Ring of Independents	29,103	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Party of Labour	17,963	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	National Action	15,132	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Revolutionary Marxist League	3,082	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Liberal European Federalist Party	400	0
Bern	29	601,067	299,125	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss People's Party	2,689,061	10
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	2,604,568	9
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	1,532,680	6
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	National Action	305,344	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Evangelical People's Party	287,246	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Ring of Independents	263,902	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Entente Jurassienne	238,793	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	211,171	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss Progressive Organisations	117,994	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Federal Democratic Union	100,099	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Democratic Alternative	92,612	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Citizens' List Against the Accumulation of Offices	26,979	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Party of Labour	22,161	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Republican Movement	16,895	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Revolutionary Marxist League	16,504	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Liberal European Federalist Party	7,020	0
Fribourg	6	115,172	56,020	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	131,487	3
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	101,272	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	75,731	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss People's Party	21,237	0
Geneva	11	182,765	68,654	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	156,909	3
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Liberal Party	155,489	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Party of Labour	145,154	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	107,497	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	102,239	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Vigilance	47,865	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Revolutionary Marxist League	10,936	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	National Action	4,428	0
Glarus	1	22,726	8,037	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss People's Party	6,394	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Others	1,423	0
Grisons	5	100,685	46,168	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	79,143	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	51,169	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss People's Party	47,280	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	45,878	1
Jura	2	40,981	24,010	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	17,901	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	People's List for Jurassic Unity	14,923	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	14,709	0
Lucerne	9	182,390	107,952	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	480,552	5
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	302,011	3
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	119,289	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss Progressive Organisations	48,860	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Revolutionary Marxist League	1,855	0
Neuchâtel	5	97,241	42,059	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	76,115	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Liberal Party	53,729	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	41,855	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Party of Labour	15,649	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Ring of Independents	9,732	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Revolutionary Marxist League	3,360	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Democratic Alternative	2,941	0
Nidwalden	1	18,345	10,951	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	5,318	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	4,189	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	1,135	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Others	96	0
Obwalden	1	10,060	6,796	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	4,209	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Others	188	0
Schaffhausen	2	42,953	32,240	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	21,662	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	19,787	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss People's Party	12,957	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Evangelical People's Party	3,856	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss Progressive Organisations	3,511	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Revolutionary Marxist League	564	0
Schwyz	3	58,170	28,281	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	40,832	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	23,183	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	18,697	0
Solothurn	7	138,097	78,551	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	210,598	3
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	153,438	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	148,776	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss Progressive Organisations	21,982	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Party of Labour	5,160	0
St. Gallen	12	231,681	104,269	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	542,444	6
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	339,587	3
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	221,052	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Ring of Independents	101,333	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Evangelical People's Party	26,102	0
Ticino	8	150,693	90,519	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	250,842	3
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	235,760	3
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	104,884	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Autonomous Socialist Party	64,845	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Party of Labour	18,848	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss People's Party	15,882	0
Thurgau	6	106,712	51,537	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss People's Party	80,645	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	75,144	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	68,381	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	51,507	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Ring of Independents	16,054	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Republican Movement	6,142	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	National Action	5,834	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Liberal European Federalist Party	1,218	0
Uri	1	21,549	12,112	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	4,462	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	2,635	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Others	4,348	0
Vaud	16	310,274	115,657	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	488,268	5
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	449,401	5
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Liberal Party	301,754	3
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Party of Labour	168,088	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss People's Party	122,621	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Green Party	115,465	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	91,630	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Constitution and Liberty Movement	29,149	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Revolutionary Marxist League	23,138	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Ring of Independents	14,463	0
Valais	7	135,196	88,789	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	356,727	4
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	137,383	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	70,086	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Critical Oberwallis	15,423	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Independent Movement	10,901	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Non-Partisan Movement for Democracy and Progress	8,593	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Liberal Party	4,970	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Alliance of Conservatives, Radicals and Socialists	2,499	0
Zug	2	44,143	24,681	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	16,710	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	16,062	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	15,137	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Revolutionary Marxist League	1,088	0
Zürich	35	694,321	322,362	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Democratic Party	2,943,873	10
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Free Democratic Party	2,489,440	9
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss People's Party	1,607,460	5
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Ring of Independents	1,241,695	4
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christian Democratic People's Party	1,080,046	3
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Evangelical People's Party	630,485	2
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	National Action	279,222	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Swiss Progressive Organisations	254,429	1
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Green Party	149,069	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Party of Labour	133,483	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Republican Movement	100,728	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Hopp Schwiiz!	78,476	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Federal Democratic Union	39,058	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Liberal Socialists	34,463	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Revolutionary Marxist League	28,735	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Social Liberal European Federalist Party	18,097	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Christians at the Gotthard	7,682	0
				style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	European Federalist Party	5,030	0
Source: Bundesblatt, 4 December 1979