Soviet Union legislative election, 1954

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Soviet Union legislative election, 1954

← 1950 14 March 1954 1958 →

All of seats to the Soviet Supreme Soviet
  First party
  Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B0628-0015-035, Nikita S. Chruschtschow.jpg
Leader Nikita Khrushchev
Party CPSU
Leader since 13 March 1953
Seats won 565 (Soviet of the Union)
485 (Soviet of Nationalities)

Elected General Secretary

Nikita Khrushchev
CPSU

Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 14 March 1954.[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
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
Communist Party of the Soviet Union 120,479,249 99.8 565 120,539,860 99.8 485
Independents 143 154
Against 247,897 0.2 187,357 0.2
Invalid/blank votes 680 609
Total 120,727,826 100 708 120,727,826 100 639
Registered voters/turnout 120,750,816 100 120,750,816 100
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

References

  1. Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1642 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Nohlen & Stöver, p1630
  3. Nohlen & Stöver, p1654
  4. Nohlen & Stöver, p1631