1915 South African general election

1915 South African general election
← 1910 20 October 1915 1920 →
All 130 seats in the House of Assembly
66 seats needed for a majority
Registered365,307
Turnout71.57%
  First party Second party
 
SirThomasSmartt.jpg
Leader Louis Botha Thomas Smartt
Party South African Unionist
Last election 28.45%, 66 seats 37.65%, 36 seats
Seats won 54 39
Seat change Decrease 12 Increase 3
Popular vote 94,285 49,917
Percentage 36.67% 19.41%
Swing Increase 8.22pp Decrease 18.24pp
  Third party Fourth party
 
Kolonel Cresswell (cropped).jpg
Leader J. B. M. Hertzog Frederic Creswell
Party National Labour
Last election Did not exist 10.93%, 3 seats
Seats won 27 4
Seat change New party Increase 1
Popular vote 75,623 24,755
Percentage 29.41% 9.63%
Swing New party Decrease 1.30pp
Results by province
Prime Minister before election

Louis Botha
South African

Elected Prime Minister

Louis Botha
South African

General elections were held in South Africa on 20 October 1915 to elect the 130 members of the House of Assembly. This was the second Union Parliament. The governing South African Party (SAP) of General Louis Botha emerged from the elections as the largest party, but did not receive an overall majority.

Botha formed a minority government, which survived with some parliamentary support from the official opposition Unionist Party.[1]

  1. ^ The Times, edition of 18 October 1915; in an article on the election refers to the Ministerialist (ie South African) Party and the Unionist Party, only contesting three constituencies against each other in three cornered fights, "these two parties having laid aside their differences until the war is over".