Soviet Union legislative election, 1962

Soviet Union legislative election, 1962

18 March 1962

All seats to the Soviet Supreme Soviet   First party   Leader Nikita Khrushchev Party CPSU Leader since 13 March 1953 Seats won 604 (Soviet of the Union) 490 (Soviet of Nationalities) Percentage 99.5%

Elected General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev CPSU

Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 18 March 1962.^[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	139,210,431	99.5	604	139,391,455	99.6	490
Independents			187			162
Against	746,563	0.5	–	565,648	0.4	–
Invalid/blank votes	815	–	–	706	–	–
Total	139,957,809	100	791	139,957,809	100	652
Registered voters/turnout	140,022,359	100	–	140,022,359	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. Nohlen & Stöver, p1630
3. Nohlen & Stöver, p1654
4. Nohlen & Stöver, p1631