1958 Soviet Union legislative election
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All seats to the Soviet Supreme Soviet | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 16 March 1958.[1]
Electoral system
Candidates had to be nominated by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) or by a public organisation.[2] However, all public organisations were controlled by the party and were subservient to a 1931 law that required them to accept party rule.[2] The CPSU itself remained the only legal one in the country.[3]
Voters could vote against the CPSU candidate, but could only do so by using polling booths, whereas votes for the party could be cast simply by submitting a blank ballot.[2] Turnout was required to be over 50% for the election to be valid.[2]
Candidates
CPSU candidates accounted for around three quarters of the nominees, whilst many of the others were members of Komsomol.[4]
Results
Party | Soviet of the Union | Soviet of Nationalities | ||||
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Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | |
Communist Party of the Soviet Union | 133,214,652 | 99.6 | 563 | 133,431,524 | 99.7 | 485 |
Independents | 175 | 155 | ||||
Against | 580,641 | 0.4 | – | 363,736 | 0.3 | – |
Invalid/blank votes | 798 | – | – | 831 | – | – |
Total | 133,796,091 | 100 | 738 | 133,796,091 | 100 | 640 |
Registered voters/turnout | 133,836,325 | 100 | – | 133,836,325 | 100 | – |
Source: Nohlen & Stöver |