1979 Soviet Union legislative election

Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 4 March 1979.[1]

1979 Soviet Union legislative election
4 March 1979
All 1,500 seats in the Supreme Soviet
  First party Second party
 
Leader Leonid Brezhnev
Party CPSU Independent
Leader since 14 October 1964
Seats before 1096 421
Seats won 1075 425
Seat change Decrease21 Increase4
Percentage 71.6% 28.4%
Chairman of the Council of Ministers before election

Alexei Kosygin
CPSU

 Elected Chairman of the Council of Ministers

Alexei Kosygin
CPSU

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

Soviet of the Union
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Communist Party of the Soviet Union174,734,45999.89549–13
Independents201–4
Against185,7300.11––
Total174,920,189100.00750–17
Valid votes174,920,189100.00
Invalid/blank votes320.00
Total votes174,920,221100.00
Registered voters/turnout174,944,17399.99
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Soviet of Nationalities
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Communist Party of the Soviet Union174,770,39899.91526–8
Independents224+8
Against149,7830.09––
Total174,920,181100.007500
Valid votes174,920,181100.00
Invalid/blank votes400.00
Total votes174,920,221100.00
Registered voters/turnout174,944,17399.99
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

References
  1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1642 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. Nohlen & Stöver, p1630
  3. Nohlen & Stöver, p1654
  4. Nohlen & Stöver, p1631
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