French legislative election, 1876

French legislative election, 1876

20 February and 5 March 1876
All 533 seats to the Chamber of Deputies 267 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	75.9
First party Second party Third party   Leader Jules Dufaure Napoléon-Jérôme Bonaparte Louis Buffet Party Republicans Parties Republican Left Republican Union Centre-right Centre-left Bonapartist Monarchists Parties Orléanists Legitimists Leader's seat Charente-Inférieure Corse Vosges (lost) Seats won 393 76 64 Seat change 171 56 332 Popular vote 5,445,128 1,056,517 886,589 Percentage 73.7% 14.3% 12.0% Swing 38.8% 11.2% 50%
Prime Minister before election Louis Buffet Monarchist Elected Prime Minister Jules Dufaure Republican Left

The 1876 general election to the Chamber of Deputies, the lower chamber of the National Assembly of the French Third Republic under the French Constitutional Laws of 1875, was held on 20 February and 5 March 1876.

The result was a victory for the Republicans. President Patrice MacMahon subsequently invited Jules Simon, who declared himself "resolutely republican and resolutely conservative", to form a government, but dismissed him on 16 May 1877, precipitating the Seize Mai crisis and further elections.^[1]

75.90% of eligible voters voted.

Results

 Summary of the 20 February and 5 March election results

Parties and coalitions			Votes	%	Seats
		Republican Left	2,674,540	36.2	193
		Republican Union	1,359,435	18.4	98
		Centre-right	746,212	10.1	54
		Centre-left	664,941	9.0	48
Republican majority			5,445,128	73.7	393
		Bonapartists	1,056,517	14.3	76
		Orléanists	554,117	7.5	40
		Legitimists	332,470	4.5	24
Conservative opposition			1,943,105	23.3	140
Total			7,388,234	100	533
Source: Roi et President