1976 West German federal election

1976 West German federal election

3 October 1976 (1976-10-03)
All 496 seats in the Bundestag 249 seats needed for a majority
Registered	42,058,015 1.5%
Turnout	38,165,753 (90.7%) 0.4pp
First party Second party Third party   x160px Candidate Helmut Kohl Helmut Schmidt Hans-Dietrich Genscher Party CDU/CSU SPD FDP Last election 44.9%, 225 seats 45.8%, 230 seats 8.4%, 41 seats Seats won 243 214 39 Seat change 18 16 2 Popular vote 18,394,801 16,099,019 2,995,085 Percentage 48.6% 42.6% 7.9% Swing 3.7pp 3.2pp 0.5pp
350px Results by constituency for the first votes. Grey denotes seats won by the CDU/CSU; red denotes seats won by the SPD.
Government before election First Schmidt cabinet SPD–FDP Government after election Second Schmidt cabinet SPD–FDP

Federal elections were held in West Germany on 3 October 1976 to elect the members of the 8th Bundestag. Although the CDU/CSU alliance became the largest faction in parliament, Helmut Schmidt of the Social Democratic Party remained Chancellor.

Campaign

The coalition of the SPD and the FDP wanted to be re-elected, with the SPD, since 1974 led by Helmut Schmidt, the party's candidate for Chancellor. The CDU and the CSU tried to achieve an absolute majority of the votes to make CDU chairman Helmut Kohl Chancellor.

Results

300px
Party		Constituency			Party list			Total seats	+/–
		Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats
	Social Democratic Party (SPD)	16,471,321	43.7	114	16,099,019	42.6	100	214	−16
	Christian Democratic Union (CDU)	14,423,157	38.3	94	14,367,302	38.0	96	190	+13
	Christian Social Union (CSU)	4,008,514	10.6	40	4,008,514	10.6	13	53	+5
	Free Democratic Party (FDP)	2,417,683	6.4	0	2,995,085	7.9	39	39	−2
	National Democratic Party (NPD)	136,028	0.4	0	122,661	0.3	0	0	0
	German Communist Party (DKP)	170,855	0.5	0	118,581	0.3	0	0	0
	Communist Party of Germany (KPD-AO)	8,822	0.0	0	22,714	0.1	0	0	New
	Action Community of Independent Germans (AUD)	19,490	0.1	0	22,202	0.1	0	0	0
	Communist League of West Germany (KBW)	21,414	0.0	0	20,018	0.1	0	0	New
	European Workers' Party (EAP)	3,177	0.0	0	6,811	0.0	0	0	New
	Christian Bavarian People's Party (CBV)	4,876	0.0	0	6,720	0.0	0	0	New
	International Marxist Group (GIM)	2,037	0.0	0	4,759	0.0	0	0	New
	Action Community Fourth Party (AVP)	2,636	0.0	0	4,723	0.0	0	0	New
	5%-Block	985	0.0	0	2,940	0.0	0	0	New
	Independent Workers' Party (UAP)	499	0.0	0	765	0.0	0	0	0
	United Left (VL)	217	0.0	0	701	0.0	0	0	New
	Right and Freedom Party (RFP)	227	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	New
	Independents and voter groups	3,706	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0
Valid votes		37,695,644	98.8	–	37,822,500	99.1	–	–	–
Invalid/blank votes		470,109	1.2	–	343,253	0.9	–	–	–
Total votes		38,165,753	100.0	248	38,165,753	100.0	248	496	0
Registered voters/turnout		42,058,015	90.7	–	42,058,015	90.7	–	–	–
Source: Bundeswahlleiter

^a – excludes the non-voting delegates representing West Berlin (11 CDU, 10 SPD, 1 FDP).

↓

214	39	243
SPD	FDP	CDU/CSU

Popular vote
CDU/CSU			48.63%
SPD			42.56%
FDP			7.92%
Other			0.88%

Bundestag seats
CDU/CSU			48.99%
SPD			43.15%
FDP			7.86%

Results by state

Constituency seats

State	Total seats	Seats won
		SPD	CDU	CSU
Baden-Württemberg	36	4	32
Bavaria	44	4		40
Bremen	3	3
Hamburg	8	8
Hesse	22	17	5
Lower Saxony	30	18	12
North Rhine-Westphalia	73	45	28
Rhineland-Palatinate	16	6	10
Saarland	5	3	2
Schleswig-Holstein	11	6	5
Total	248	114	94	40

List seats

State	Total seats	Seats won
		SPD	CDU	FDP	CSU
Baden-Württemberg	35	22	6	7
Bavaria	44	25		6	13
Bremen	2		2
Hamburg	6		5	1
Hesse	25	5	16	4
Lower Saxony	32	11	16	5
North Rhine-Westphalia	75	25	38	12
Rhineland-Palatinate	15	7	6	2
Saarland	3	1	2
Schleswig-Holstein	11	4	5	2
Total	248	100	96	39	13

Aftermath

The coalition between the SPD and the FDP remained in government, with Helmut Schmidt as Chancellor. Between the "sister parties" of CDU and Bavarian CSU there emerged a critical conflict, as the CSU leader Franz Josef Strauß wanted to break both the united Bundestag group of the parties and the agreement not to compete against each other in any Land. Later, this attack was withdrawn, while Strauß became candidate for chancellor for the 1980 elections.

External links

• The Federal Returning Officer
• Psephos