Federal elections were held in Germany on 16 June 1903.[1] Despite the Social Democratic Party (SPD) receiving a clear plurality of votes, the Centre Party remained the largest party in the Reichstag after winning 100 of the 397 seats, whilst the SPD won only 81.[2] Voter turnout was 76.1%.[3]
1903 German federal election|
|
|
| Registered | 12,531,248  9.53% |
|---|
| Turnout | 9,533,814 (76.08%) 8.02pp |
|---|
|
|
First party
|
Second party
|
Third party
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Leader
|
Franz von Ballestrem
|
Paul Singer &
August Bebel
|
Otto von Manteuffel
|
| Party
|
Centre
|
SPD
|
DKP
|
| Leader since
|
1890
|
18 March 1890
& 21 November 1892
|
1892
|
| Last election
|
18.76%, 102 seats
|
27.18%, 56 seats
|
10.71%, 53 seats
|
| Seats won
|
100
|
81
|
52
|
| Seat change
|
 2
|
25
|
1
|
| Popular vote
|
1,875,292
|
3,010,771
|
901,415
|
| Percentage
|
19.75%
|
31.71%
|
9.49%
|
| Swing
|
0.99 pp
|
4.53 pp
|
1.22 pp
|
|
|
|
Fourth party
|
Fifth party
|
Sixth party
|
|
|
|
|
DRP
|
| Leader
|
Ernst Bassermann
|
Eugen Richter
|
|
| Party
|
NlP
|
FVP
|
DRP
|
| Leader since
|
1898
|
7 May 1893
|
|
| Last election
|
12.86%, 48 seats
|
7.20%, 29 seats
|
4.35%, 22 seats
|
| Seats won
|
50
|
21
|
21
|
| Seat change
|
2
|
8
|
1
|
| Popular vote
|
1,301,473
|
536,879
|
336,617
|
| Percentage
|
13.71%
|
5.65%
|
3.54%
|
| Swing
|
0.85 pp
|
1.55 pp
|
0.81 pp
|
|
 Map of results (by constituencies) |
President of the Reichstag before election
Franz von Ballestrem
Centre
|
President of the Reichstag after election
Franz von Ballestrem
Centre
| |
|
|---|
| Party | Votes | % | +/– | Seats | +/– |
|---|
| Social Democratic Party | 3,010,771 | 31.71 | +4.53 | 81 | +25 |
| Centre Party | 1,875,292 | 19.75 | +0.99 | 100 | −2 |
| National Liberal Party | 1,301,473 | 13.71 | +0.85 | 50 | +2 |
| German Conservative Party | 901,415 | 9.49 | −1.22 | 52 | −1 |
| Free-minded People's Party | 536,879 | 5.65 | −1.55 | 21 | −8 |
| German Reich Party | 336,617 | 3.54 | −0.81 | 21 | −1 |
| Free-minded Union | 233,229 | 2.46 | −0.06 | 8 | −4 |
| Independent Polish | 164,742 | 1.73 | −0.45 | 8 | 0 |
| German Agrarian League | 145,025 | 1.53 | +0.20 | 5 | −1 |
| German Reform Party | 138,344 | 1.46 | New | 6 | New |
| Alsace-Lorraine parties | 126,276 | 1.33 | −0.19 | 11 | 0 |
| Polish People's Party | 104,246 | 1.10 | +1.00 | 5 | +5 |
| German-Hanoverian Party | 100,538 | 1.06 | −0.30 | 7 | −2 |
| German People's Party | 82,007 | 0.86 | −0.51 | 5 | −3 |
| Bavarian Peasants' League | 65,815 | 0.69 | −1.00 | 2 | −2 |
| German Social Party | 59,291 | 0.62 | New | 3 | New |
| Other agrarians | 45,870 | 0.48 | +0.36 | 1 | 1 |
| Polish National Party | 44,175 | 0.47 | New | 1 | New |
| Christian Social Party | 40,744 | 0.43 | −0.20 | 2 | +1 |
| Polish Court Party | 34,621 | 0.36 | −0.51 | 2 | −4 |
| National-Social Group | 33,655 | 0.35 | 0.00 | 1 | +1 |
| Alsatian liberals | 25,677 | 0.27 | +0.05 | 2 | +1 |
| Independent conservatives | 22,490 | 0.24 | +0.18 | 1 | −2 |
| Danish Party | 14,843 | 0.16 | −0.04 | 1 | 0 |
| Independent liberals | 9,808 | 0.10 | −0.50 | 0 | −3 |
| Alsace Liberal Group | 9,166 | 0.10 | +0.07 | 1 | +1 |
| Middle Class parties | 6,909 | 0.07 | +0.03 | 0 | 0 |
| Independent anti-semites | 6,474 | 0.07 | −0.23 | 0 | −2 |
| Lithuanian Party | 6,012 | 0.06 | −0.05 | 0 | −1 |
| Other conservatives | 674 | 0.01 | −0.05 | 0 | 0 |
| Others | 11,884 | 0.13 | −0.05 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown | 625 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 9,495,587 | 100.00 | – | 397 | 0 |
|
| Valid votes | 9,495,587 | 99.60 | |
|---|
| Invalid/blank votes | 38,227 | 0.40 | |
|---|
| Total votes | 9,533,814 | 100.00 | |
|---|
| Registered voters/turnout | 12,531,248 | 76.08 | |
|---|
| Source: Wahlen in Deutschland |
| Party | Votes | % | +/– | Seats | +/– |
|---|
| Alsace-Lorraine Land Party | 69,011 | 24.44 | −4.90 | 6 | 0 |
| Social Democratic Party | 68,267 | 24.17 | +1.46 | 0 | −1 |
| Lorraine independent conservatives | 44,884 | 15.89 | +4.68 | 4 | +1 |
| Alsatian Liberals | 25,677 | 9.09 | +1.71 | 2 | +1 |
| Centre Party | 20,034 | 7.09 | New | 0 | New |
| Independent conservatives | 12,060 | 4.27 | −1.62 | 0 | −1 |
| German Reich Party | 9,874 | 3.50 | −0.60 | 1 | 0 |
| Alsace Liberal Group | 9,166 | 3.25 | +2.32 | 1 | +1 |
| Alsace-Lorraine protesters | 8,163 | 2.89 | +0.17 | 1 | 0 |
| Free-minded Union | 7,368 | 2.61 | +2.47 | 0 | 0 |
| Clericals | 4,218 | 1.49 | −4.68 | 0 | −1 |
| National Liberal Party | 1,417 | 0.50 | −3.06 | 0 | 0 |
| Independent liberals | 1,327 | 0.47 | −2.54 | 0 | 0 |
| Others | 947 | 0.34 | +0.02 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 282,413 | 100.00 | – | 15 | 0 |
|
| Valid votes | 282,413 | 98.09 | |
|---|
| Invalid/blank votes | 5,501 | 1.91 | |
|---|
| Total votes | 287,914 | 100.00 | |
|---|
| Registered voters/turnout | 372,327 | 77.33 | |
|---|
| Source: Wahlen in Deutschland |
