Belgian general election, 1831

Belgian general election, 1831
Belgium
29 August 1831 (1831-08-29)
All 102 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 51 seats in the Senate
Kingdom of Belgium
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General elections were held in Belgium on 29 August 1831.[1] They were the first elections to the new bicameral parliament, as instituted by the Belgian Constitution adopted in February 1831.

In the Senate elections Catholics won 31 seats and Liberals four.[1] Voter turnout was 62.2%, although only 46,000 people (1.1% of the country's population) were eligible to vote.[1]

On 8 September 1831, King Leopold I of Belgium opened the 1831-1832 parliamentary session, the first ever of the Belgian Parliament.[2]

Electoral system

The electoral system was defined in the Constitution of 7 February 1831 and in the electoral law of 3 March 1831.

102 members of the Chamber of Representatives and 51 members of the Senate were elected by absolute majority in 43 electoral districts. The number of representatives per district ranged from 1 to 7; the number of senators from 1 to 3; some of them were elected by joint or alternating districts.

Eligible to vote were men aged 25 or older who held the Belgian nationality either through birth or through grand naturalisation and who paid a cens fixed by the electoral law. The cens differentiated depending on the place of residence.

Results

Senate

Party Votes % Seats
Catholics 31
Liberals 4
Independents 16
Total 51
Sternberger et al.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Sternberger, D, Vogel, B & Nohlen, D (1969) Die Wahl der Parlamente: Band I: Europa - Erster Halbband, p105
  2. ↑ Discours du Trône pour l'ouverture de la session 1831-1832, prononcé par Sa Majesté, Chamber of Representatives
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