1903 German federal election

German federal election, 1903

16 June 1903 (1903-06-16)
All 397 seats in the Reichstag 199 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	76.1%
First party Second party Third party   Leader Franz von Ballestrem Paul Singer & August Bebel Otto Karl von Manteuffel Party Centre SPD DKP Leader since 1890 18 March 1890 & 21 November 1892 1892 Last election 102 seats 56 seats 56 seats Seats won 100 81 54 Seat change 2 25 2 Popular vote 1,875,300 3,010,800 948,500 Percentage 19.8% 31.7% 10.0% Swing 1.0% 4.5% 1.1%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Ernst Bassermann Eugen Richter Party NlP FVP DRP Leader since 1898 7 May 1893 Last election 46 seats 29 seats 23 seats Seats won 51 21 21 Seat change 5 8 2 Popular vote 1,317,400 538,200 333,400 Percentage 13.9% 5.7% 4.7% Swing 1.4% 1.5% 1.0%
President of the Reichstag before election Franz von Ballestrem Centre Elected President of the Reichstag Franz von Ballestrem Centre

Federal elections were held in Germany on 16 June 1903. 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. The voter turnout for the election was 76.1%.

Results

Party	Votes[a]	%	Seats	+/–
Social Democratic Party	3,010,800	31.7	81	+25
Centre Party	1,875,300	19.8	100	−2
National Liberal Party	1,317,400	13.9	51	+5
German Conservative Party	948,500	10.0	54	−2
Free-minded People's Party	538,200	5.7	21	−8
Polish Party	347,800	3.7	16	+2
German Reich Party	333,400	3.5	21	−2
Anti-Semites	244,500	2.6	11	−2
Free-minded Union	243,200	2.6	9	−3
German Agrarian League	118,800	1.3	4	−2
Bavarian Peasants' League	111,400	1.2	4	−1
Alsace-Lorraine Party	101,900	1.1	9	−1
German-Hanoverian Party	94,300	1.0	6	−3
German People's Party	91,200	1.0	6	−2
Danish Party	15,000	0.2	1	0
Others	97,500	1.0	3	−4
Invalid/blank votes	44,800	–	–	–
Total	9,533,800	100	397	0
Registered voters/turnout	12,531,200	76.1	–	–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver, DGDB

^a Figures for votes are rounded.

Popular Vote SPD   31.71% Zentrum   19.75% NLP   14.01% DKP   9.88% FVP   5.67% PP   3.66% DRP   3.51% Anti-Semites   2.56% FV   2.55% Other   6.70%

Reichstag seats Zentrum   25.19% SPD   20.40% DKP   13.60% NLP   12.85% FVP   5.29% DRP   5.29% PP   4.03% Anti-Semites   2.77% FV   2.27% Other   8.31%