Published on April 26, 2022 at 16:49
1880 ElectionThe 1883 General Election was the sixth general election to the Ivonian Parliament. The incumbent Dominion Party Government, led by James Sadler, sought re-election against the Country Party led by Harvey Harris. The Dominion Party had won a clear four seat majority in the previous parliament, giving the Prime Minister some cushion against potential losses. The Prime Minister visited the Governor-General on November 12, 1883 to request the dissolution of Parliament, and the election was set for December 17.
The Dominion Party entered the campaign with a sense of purpose. They had won a large victory three years prior based on a promise to expand urban infrastructure and transportation links, and the intervening time had seen rapid railway construction and urban expansion. The primary promises of the Sadler Government for the 1883 campaign revolved around linking every province via rail, as there small or constrained linkages between the major ports and the East in particular. The party was worried about potential losses, as the narrow margin of victory in several seats left them defending a national margin of only 1.9% against the Country Party.
The Country Party had seen substantial upheaval in its ranks following the 1880 defeat, as long-serving leader Joseph Bissett had stepped down upon the defeat of his government. After a lengthy period of internal conflict, Harvey Harris, the MP for the Soutshore seat of South Country, was selected as party leader. He took the party in a radically different direction, keen on distinguishing it from the "high-spending, urban elitist" Dominion Party as he viewed it. A rural landowner, he vowed to defend the countryside's character against urban encroachment, and opposed the railway infrastructure plans.
This may have left Harris popular among certain segments of the Country Party support base, but did little to help the party win back government. The Whitaker Herald electoral favorability survey published on the eve of the campaign found the Dominion Party with a 69% favorability rating, compared with a substantially smaller 47% favorability rating for the Country Party. The size of this gap caused much discomfort amongst the Country Party's senior leadership, as they braced for losses.
The results were poor for the Country Party, which suffered a 2.4% swing against it nationally. This only led to the loss of a single seat, the Westmoreland seat of Madison, to the Dominion Party, but the Country Party came 294 votes away from losing the seat of Sedgwick in Southshore. The popular vote margin was more than ten percent following the election, which left many to believe that the Country Party was at least two elections away from winning back government.
James Sadler was comfortably re-elected in his seat of Outer North Bay, with a record-setting margin of 26.6%. Harvey Harris was also re-elected, but sat on a margin of roughly six percent in South Country. Sadler went to the Governor-General on December 18 to receive his commission and faced Parliament on the 21st. Harris was re-elected as the leader of the Country Party despite substantial internal opposition, and would go on to lead the party through the next parliamentary term.
| Party | Votes | Votes % | Seats | Seats % | Votes Δ | Votes % Δ | Seats Δ | Seats % Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion | 1,074,572 | 55.17% | 15 | 71.43% | 47,122 | 2.42% | 1 | 4.76% |
| Country | 873,122 | 44.83% | 6 | 28.57% | -47,148 | -2.42% | -1 | -4.76% |
| Seat | Winner | Previous Winner | Swing Required | Two-Party Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | Dominion | Country | 0.77% | 2.30% |
| Seat | Province | Current Holder | Raw Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | Westmoreland | Dominion | 3.06% |
| Fort William | New Anglia | Dominion | 5.82% |
| Northampton | North Bay | Dominion | 7.52% |
| Westgate Centre | Westmoreland | Dominion | 8.13% |
| Outer Anglia | New Anglia | Dominion | 8.35% |
| South York | South Yorkshire | Dominion | 10.21% |
| York Country | South Yorkshire | Dominion | 10.24% |
| Whitaker Centre | Southshore | Dominion | 12.47% |
| Stanton | Westmoreland | Dominion | 19.31% |
| Port of Whitaker | Southshore | Dominion | 19.88% |
| Princeton | South Yorkshire | Dominion | 21.13% |
| Salem | South Yorkshire | Dominion | 23.87% |
| Port Elizabeth | North Bay | Dominion | 29.71% |
| Lakeville | Westmoreland | Dominion | 29.77% |
| Outer North Bay | North Bay | Dominion | 53.21% |
| Seat | Province | Current Holder | Raw Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedgwick | Southshore | Country | 0.30% |
| Port Henry | Westmoreland | Country | 3.01% |
| Upper Coast | Westmoreland | Country | 4.90% |
| Whitaker Outer | Southshore | Country | 5.63% |
| South Coast | Southshore | Country | 10.03% |
| South Country | Southshore | Country | 11.91% |
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion* | 35,947 | 52.91% | 34,255 | 50.41% | 2.49% |
| Country | 31,996 | 47.09% | 33,693 | 49.59% | -2.49% |
The Dominion Party won the seat of Fort William, after winning 52.91% of the vote. They held the seat and saw their share of the vote increase by 2.49%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 5.82%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion* | 48,150 | 54.18% | 46,095 | 51.86% | 2.31% |
| Country | 40,728 | 45.82% | 42,780 | 48.14% | -2.31% |
The Dominion Party won the seat of Outer Anglia, after winning 54.18% of the vote. They held the seat and saw their share of the vote increase by 2.31%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 8.35%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion* | 63,250 | 53.76% | 60,257 | 51.22% | 2.54% |
| Country | 54,404 | 46.24% | 57,394 | 48.78% | -2.54% |
The Dominion Party won the seat of Northampton, after winning 53.76% of the vote. They held the seat and saw their share of the vote increase by 2.54%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 7.52%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion* | 67,204 | 76.61% | 65,531 | 74.70% | 1.91% |
| Country | 20,522 | 23.39% | 22,198 | 25.30% | -1.91% |
The Dominion Party won the seat of Outer North Bay, after winning 76.61% of the vote. They held the seat and saw their share of the vote increase by 1.91%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 53.21%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion* | 56,971 | 64.85% | 54,985 | 62.59% | 2.26% |
| Country | 30,876 | 35.15% | 32,864 | 37.41% | -2.26% |
The Dominion Party won the seat of Port Elizabeth, after winning 64.85% of the vote. They held the seat and saw their share of the vote increase by 2.26%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 29.71%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion* | 74,688 | 60.56% | 71,887 | 58.29% | 2.27% |
| Country | 48,632 | 39.44% | 51,435 | 41.71% | -2.27% |
The Dominion Party won the seat of Princeton, after winning 60.56% of the vote. They held the seat and saw their share of the vote increase by 2.27%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 21.13%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion* | 44,912 | 61.93% | 43,259 | 59.65% | 2.28% |
| Country | 27,604 | 38.07% | 29,259 | 40.35% | -2.28% |
The Dominion Party won the seat of Salem, after winning 61.93% of the vote. They held the seat and saw their share of the vote increase by 2.28%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 23.87%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion* | 46,860 | 55.10% | 44,757 | 52.63% | 2.47% |
| Country | 38,179 | 44.90% | 40,282 | 47.37% | -2.47% |
The Dominion Party won the seat of South York, after winning 55.10% of the vote. They held the seat and saw their share of the vote increase by 2.47%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 10.21%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion* | 62,447 | 55.12% | 59,744 | 52.73% | 2.39% |
| Country | 50,843 | 44.88% | 53,547 | 47.27% | -2.39% |
The Dominion Party won the seat of York Country, after winning 55.12% of the vote. They held the seat and saw their share of the vote increase by 2.39%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 10.24%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion* | 62,299 | 59.94% | 59,745 | 57.48% | 2.46% |
| Country | 41,640 | 40.06% | 44,192 | 42.52% | -2.46% |
The Dominion Party won the seat of Port of Whitaker, after winning 59.94% of the vote. They held the seat and saw their share of the vote increase by 2.46%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 19.88%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country* | 48,354 | 50.15% | 50,808 | 52.70% | -2.54% |
| Dominion | 48,060 | 49.85% | 45,610 | 47.30% | 2.54% |
The Country Party won the seat of Sedgwick, after winning 50.15% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 2.54%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 0.30%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country* | 47,126 | 55.01% | 49,162 | 57.39% | -2.37% |
| Dominion | 38,537 | 44.99% | 36,505 | 42.61% | 2.37% |
The Country Party won the seat of South Coast, after winning 55.01% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 2.37%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 10.03%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country* | 56,578 | 55.96% | 59,180 | 58.53% | -2.57% |
| Dominion | 44,534 | 44.04% | 41,934 | 41.47% | 2.57% |
The Country Party won the seat of South Country, after winning 55.96% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 2.57%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 11.91%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion* | 60,657 | 56.24% | 58,049 | 53.82% | 2.42% |
| Country | 47,203 | 43.76% | 49,808 | 46.18% | -2.42% |
The Dominion Party won the seat of Whitaker Centre, after winning 56.24% of the vote. They held the seat and saw their share of the vote increase by 2.42%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 12.47%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country* | 44,098 | 52.82% | 46,200 | 55.33% | -2.51% |
| Dominion | 39,396 | 47.18% | 37,298 | 44.67% | 2.51% |
The Country Party won the seat of Whitaker Outer, after winning 52.82% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 2.51%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 5.63%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion* | 44,867 | 64.88% | 43,154 | 62.41% | 2.48% |
| Country | 24,284 | 35.12% | 25,997 | 37.59% | -2.48% |
The Dominion Party won the seat of Lakeville, after winning 64.88% of the vote. They held the seat and saw their share of the vote increase by 2.48%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 29.77%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion | 30,791 | 51.53% | 29,419 | 49.23% | 2.30% |
| Country* | 28,961 | 48.47% | 30,334 | 50.77% | -2.30% |
The Dominion Party won the seat of Madison, after winning 51.53% of the vote. They gained the seat from the Country Party after a two-party swing of 2.30%. This was enough to exceed the required two-party swing of 0.77%; the seat now sits on a raw margin of 3.06%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country* | 57,730 | 51.51% | 60,596 | 54.06% | -2.56% |
| Dominion | 54,352 | 48.49% | 51,485 | 45.94% | 2.56% |
The Country Party won the seat of Port Henry, after winning 51.51% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 2.56%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 3.01%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion* | 41,420 | 59.66% | 39,637 | 57.09% | 2.57% |
| Country | 28,010 | 40.34% | 29,794 | 42.91% | -2.57% |
The Dominion Party won the seat of Stanton, after winning 59.66% of the vote. They held the seat and saw their share of the vote increase by 2.57%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 19.31%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country* | 54,614 | 52.45% | 57,281 | 55.01% | -2.56% |
| Dominion | 49,514 | 47.55% | 46,851 | 44.99% | 2.56% |
The Country Party won the seat of Upper Coast, after winning 52.45% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 2.56%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 4.90%.
| Party | Votes | Percent | Previous Votes | Previous Percent | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion* | 59,716 | 54.06% | 56,993 | 51.60% | 2.47% |
| Country | 50,740 | 45.94% | 53,466 | 48.40% | -2.47% |
The Dominion Party won the seat of Westgate Centre, after winning 54.06% of the vote. They held the seat and saw their share of the vote increase by 2.47%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 8.13%.