Legislative election in the Soviet Union
1958 Soviet Union legislative election|
|
|
|
First party
|
Second party
|
|
|
|
Leader
|
Nikita Khrushchev
|
|
Party
|
CPSU
|
Independent
|
Leader since
|
13 March 1953
|
|
Last election
|
1050
|
297
|
Seats won
|
1048
|
330
|
Seat change
|
2
|
33
|
Percentage
|
76.1%
|
23.9%
|
|
|
Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the Soviet Union on 16 March 1958.[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]