Elections to the Constituent Reichstag of the North German Confederation were held on 12 February 1867, with run-off elections during the following weeks. The National Liberal Party emerged as the largest party, winning 80 seats and receiving strong support in Hanover, Kassel and Nassau. Voter turnout was around 65% in Prussian constituencies. After the Constituent Reichstag had drawn up and agreed a constitution, fresh elections were held in August.
Electoral system
The North German Confederation was divided into 297 single-member electoral constituencies. Elections were conducted under the two-round system. All men over the age of 25, who were in full enjoyment of their civil rights, who were resident in the place of election and had nationality in one of the States belonging to the Confederation for at least three years, who were not under guardianship or curate, who were not engaged in bankruptcy proceedings, and who were not in receipt of public assistance were eligible to vote.
Results
The Free Conservative Party, the National Liberal Party, the German Progress Party, and the Old Liberals, all of them in support of the policies of Otto von Bismarck, won a clear majority of seats. On the other hand, in the recently annexed Prussian provinces of Schleswig-Holstein and Hanover, Federal-Constitutional candidates achieved electoral successes. The Saxon People's Party, the predecessor of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, entered the parliament with two representatives.
Parliamentary groups
Two separate parliamentary groups would later be formed: the Free Association out of 11 liberals and 3 conservatives; and the Federalist-Constitutionalist Union, out of 7 Schleswig-Holstein particularist liberals, one other liberal, 4 clericals, all 9 German-Hanoverians, and one independent conservative.
Elected representatives
Prussia
Source:
Other states
Source: