1937 Dutch Senate election

Elected Senators

Elections for all 50 seats in the Senate of the Netherlands were held on 27 May 1937. The snap elections, held a day after a snap general election, were triggered by the passing of a proposed constitutional amendment.

Senators were elected by provincial councils in four "electoral groups". Group I comprised North Brabant, Zeeland, Utrecht and Limburg; group II comprised Gelderland, Overijssel, Groningen and Drenthe; group III comprised North Holland and Friesland; and group IV comprised South Holland. Within each electoral group, Senators were elected by provincial councils using party-list proportional representation. Provincial councillors' votes were weighted to their province's population.[1]

The 25 incumbent Senators for groups II and IV were previously elected five years prior in the 1932 Senate election, while the 25 incumbent Senators for groups I and III were elected two years prior in the 1935 Senate election. This was the last Senate election before the outbreak of World War II.

The election saw the incumbent government's majority shrink from 37 to 34 seats, with the Liberal State Party losing two seats, and the Free-thinking Democratic League losing one. In group III, one seats changed hands from the Anti-Revolutionary Party to the Christian Historical Union, both government parties. The National Socialist Movement gained two seats, while the Social Democratic Workers' Party gained one.

Results

1937 Senate election
PartyUnweightedWeightedSeats+/–
Votes%Votes%
Roman Catholic State Party16828.9723,29429.89160
Social Democratic Workers' Party13823.7919,77725.3812+1
Anti-Revolutionary Party7813.459,36612.027+1
Christian Historical Union6811.728,57211.006−1
National Socialist Movement447.596,1367.874+2
Liberal State Party315.344,6535.973−2
Free-thinking Democratic League284.832,9933.842−1
Reformed Political Party132.241,7692.2700
Christian Democratic Union91.557871.0100
Catholic Democratic Party30.525750.7400
Total580100.0077,922100.00500
Valid votes580100.0077,922100.00
Invalid/blank votes00.0000.00
Total votes580100.0077,922100.00
Registered voters/turnout59098.3179,35798.19
Source: Staatscourant[2]

By electoral group

1937 Senate election in electoral group I
PartyUnweightedWeightedSeats+/–
Votes%Votes%
Roman Catholic State Party10756.0213,21563.3990
Social Democratic Workers' Party2312.042,31111.0910
Anti-Revolutionary Party178.901,4456.9310
Christian Historical Union189.421,4647.0210
National Socialist Movement136.811,4046.7310
Reformed Political Party63.144342.0800
Liberal State Party31.572171.0400
Free-thinking Democratic League31.572171.0400
Catholic Democratic Party10.521400.670New
Total191100.0020,847100.00130
Valid votes191100.0020,847100.00
Invalid/blank votes00.0000.00
Total votes191100.0020,847100.00
Registered voters/turnout19299.4820,98799.33
Source: Staatscourant[2]
1937 Senate election in electoral group II
PartyUnweightedWeightedSeats+/–
Votes%Votes%
Social Democratic Workers' Party4725.684,68724.6530
Roman Catholic State Party3318.034,07521.4330
Anti-Revolutionary Party2815.302,67714.0820
Christian Historical Union2413.112,54013.3620
National Socialist Movement168.741,6078.451New
Liberal State Party126.561,1886.251−1
Free-thinking Democratic League147.651,3166.9210
Christian Democratic Union63.285472.880New
Reformed Political Party31.643791.9900
Total183100.0019,016100.00130
Valid votes183100.0019,016100.00
Invalid/blank votes00.0000.00
Total votes183100.0019,016100.00
Registered voters/turnout18996.8319,68096.63
Source: Staatscourant[3]
1937 Senate election in electoral group III
PartyUnweightedWeightedSeats+/–
Votes%Votes%
Social Democratic Workers' Party4334.406,80436.3940
Roman Catholic State Party1612.803,13616.7720
Anti-Revolutionary Party2116.802,37612.712+1
Christian Historical Union1411.201,7009.091−1
Free-thinking Democratic League118.801,4607.8110
National Socialist Movement86.401,4527.7610
Liberal State Party86.401,3367.1410
Christian Democratic Union32.402401.2800
Catholic Democratic Party10.801961.0500
Total125100.0018,700100.00120
Valid votes125100.0018,700100.00
Invalid/blank votes00.0000.00
Total votes125100.0018,700100.00
Registered voters/turnout12798.4319,09297.95
Source: Staatscourant[4]
1937 Senate election in electoral group IV
PartyUnweightedWeightedSeats+/–
Votes%Votes%
Social Democratic Workers' Party2530.865,97530.864+1
Anti-Revolutionary Party1214.812,86814.8120
Christian Historical Union1214.812,86814.8120
Roman Catholic State Party1214.812,86814.8120
Liberal State Party89.881,9129.881−1
National Socialist Movement78.641,6738.641New
Reformed Political Party44.949564.9400
Catholic Democratic Party11.232391.230New
Total81100.0019,359100.00120
Valid votes81100.0019,359100.00
Invalid/blank votes00.0000.00
Total votes81100.0019,359100.00
Registered voters/turnout8298.7819,59898.78
Source: Staatscourant[5]

References

  1. ^ "Geschiedenis kiesstelsel Eerste Kamer". Parlement.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b "PROCES-VERBAAL van de zitting van het Centraal Stembureau, bedoeld in artikel 115o der Kieswet". Staatscourant (in Dutch). The Hague. 31 May 1937. p. 1. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  3. ^ "PROCES-VERBAAL van de zitting van het Centraal Stembureau, bedoeld in artikel 115o der Kieswet". Staatscourant (in Dutch). The Hague. 31 May 1937. p. 4. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  4. ^ "PROCES-VERBAAL van de zitting van het Centraal Stembureau, bedoeld in artikel 115o der Kieswet". Staatscourant (in Dutch). The Hague. 31 May 1937. p. 7. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  5. ^ "PROCES-VERBAAL van de zitting van het Centraal Stembureau, bedoeld in artikel 115o der Kieswet". Staatscourant (in Dutch). The Hague. 31 May 1937. p. 10. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
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