1950 East German general election

Parliamentary elections were held in the German Democratic Republic on 15 October 1950. They were the first held since the founding of the country on 7 October 1949. There were 466 deputies to the Volkskammer (66 from East Berlin who were not directly elected) in total.

1950 East German general election

15 October 1950
466 seats in the Volkskammer
Turnout	98.5% ( 3.3pp)
Leader Walter Ulbricht Party SED Alliance National Front Leader since 25 July 1950 Seats won 110 Seat change 14
Chairman of the Council of Ministers before election Otto Grotewohl SED Elected Chairman of the Council of Ministers Otto Grotewohl SED

This election set the tone for all elections held in East Germany until the Peaceful Revolution. Voters were presented with a single list from the National Front of Democratic Germany, which in turn was controlled by the Socialist Unity Party. Only one candidate appeared on the ballot; voters simply took the ballot paper and dropped it into the ballot box. Those who wanted to vote against the candidate had to go to a special booth, without any secrecy.[1] Seats were apportioned based on a set quota, not actual vote totals.[2] By ensuring that its candidates dominated the list, the SED effectively predetermined the composition of the Volkskammer.

According to official figures, the National Front list received the approval of 99.6% of voters, with turnout reported to be 98.5%.[3]

Results

Alliance	Party	Votes	%	Seats
				Directly elected	Indirectly elected	Total	+/–
National Front	Socialist Unity Party of Germany	12,088,745	99.6	100	10	110	+14
	Christian Democratic Union			60	7	67	+21
	Liberal Democratic Party of Germany			60	6	66	+20
	Free German Trade Union Federation			40	9	49	+19
	National Democratic Party of Germany			30	5	35	+18
	Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany			30	3	33	+18
	Free German Youth			20	5	25	+15
	Cultural Association of the DDR			20	4	24	–11
	Democratic Women's League of Germany			15	5	20	+10
	Union of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime			15	4	19	+9
	Peasants Mutual Aid Association			10	2	12	+7
	Eastern Bureau of the Social Democratic Party of Germany			0	6	6	+1
Against		51,187	0.4	–	–	–	–
Invalid/blank votes
Total		12,139,932	100	400	66	466	+136
Registered voters/turnout		12,325,168	98.5	–	–	–	–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver (votes)

References

1. Sebetsyen, Victor (2009). Revolution 1989: The Fall of the Soviet Empire. New York City: Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-375-42532-2.
2. Eugene Register-Guard October 29, 1989. p. 5A.
3. Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p779 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7