Ommen (electoral district)

Ommen was an electoral district of the House of Representatives in the Netherlands from 1888 to 1918.

Profile

The district of Ommen in 1888

The electoral district of Ommen was created in 1888 out of parts of the districts of Zwolle, Almelo and Deventer, which were reduced from two seats to one each. Ommen's boundaries remained the same throughout the electoral district's existence. Situated in the centre of the province of Overijssel, it included the municipalities of Gramsbergen, Den Ham, Hardenberg, Hellendoorn, Holten, Ommen, Raalte and Vriezenveen. The district was predominantly agricultural.[1][2]

During its existence, the district's population increased from 41,819 in 1888 to 50,116 in 1909. A majority of around 60% the population was Dutch Reformed, while Catholics constituted around 19% of the population. The proportion of the population identifying as Gereformeerd grew from 17% in 1888 to 20% in 1909, and the share of "Others" peaked at 3% in 1909.[3]

The district of Ommen was abolished upon the introduction of party-list proportional representation in 1918.

Members

Jan van Alphen

Ommen was a safe seat for the parliamentary right. Its inaugural election was won by the Anti-Revolutionary candidate Alexander van Dedem, but he declined to take the seat, opting instead to represent the district of Zwolle. Jan van Alphen was elected to replace it would represent the district until 1908, becoming its longest-serving member. Former chairman of the Council of Ministers Abraham Kuyper represented the district between 1908 and 1912. Both Van Alphen and Kuyper served as chair of the Anti-Revolutionary parliamentary group. The last member for Ommen was the independent Christian historical Cornelis Bichon van IJsselmonde.

Election Member Party Ref
1888 Alexander van Dedem AR [4]
1888 Jan van Alphen AR [5]
1891
1894
1897
1901
1905
1908 Abraham Kuyper AR [6]
1909
1912 Cornelis Bichon van IJsselmonde OCH [7]
1913
1917

Election results

Elections in the 1880s

1888 general election: Ommen
CandidatePartyVotes%
Alexander van DedemAR1,13757.25
G.J. van der WijckLib84442.50
Others50.25
Total1,986100.00
Valid votes1,98699.30
Invalid/blank votes140.70
Total votes2,000100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,32685.98
AR gain
Source: Electoral Council,[8] Huygens Institute[9]
1888 Ommen by-election
CandidatePartyVotes%
Jan van AlphenAR1,26460.28
G.J. van der WijckLib83339.72
Total2,097100.00
Valid votes2,09799.57
Invalid/blank votes90.43
Total votes2,106100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,32690.54
AR hold
Source: Electoral Council,[8] Huygens Institute[10]

Elections in the 1890s

1891 general election: Ommen
CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Evard van Weede van DijkveldLib84541.2297645.71
Jan van AlphenAR76537.321,15954.29
J.H.A.M. EssinkKa43621.27
Others40.20
Total2,050100.002,135100.00
Valid votes2,05099.712,13599.07
Invalid/blank votes60.29200.93
Total votes2,056100.002,155100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,41984.992,41989.09
AR hold
Source: Electoral Council,[11] Huygens Institute[12]
1894 general election: Ommen
CandidatePartyVotes%
Jan van AlphenAR60451.36
Jan WillinkLib55146.85
Others211.79
Total1,176100.00
Valid votes1,17697.59
Invalid/blank votes292.41
Total votes1,205100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,41549.90
AR hold
Source: Electoral Council,[13] Huygens Institute[14]
1897 general election: Ommen
CandidatePartyVotes%
Jan van AlphenAR2,97756.51
Johannes Theodoor de VisserCHK1,53429.12
E.E. van RiemsdijkLib75714.37
Total5,268100.00
Valid votes5,26897.85
Invalid/blank votes1162.15
Total votes5,384100.00
Registered voters/turnout6,42083.86
Anti-Revolutionary hold
Source: [15] Huygens Institute[16]

Elections in the 1900s

1901 general election: Ommen
CandidatePartyVotes%
Jan van AlphenAR2,67265.11
T.M. WentholtLib1,43234.89
Total4,104100.00
Valid votes4,10498.09
Invalid/blank votes801.91
Total votes4,184100.00
Registered voters/turnout5,99769.77
Anti-Revolutionary hold
Source: Electoral Council,[17] Huygens Institute[18][a]
1905 general election: Ommen
CandidatePartyVotes%
Jan van AlphenAR4,11457.20
W.J.M. EngelbertsVL3,07842.80
Total7,192100.00
Valid votes7,19298.60
Invalid/blank votes1021.40
Total votes7,294100.00
Registered voters/turnout8,07890.29
Anti-Revolutionary hold
Source: Electoral Council,[19] Huygens Institute[20][b]
1908 Ommen by-election
CandidatePartyVotes%
Abraham KuyperAR3,94157.42
Theo de MeesterLib2,92342.58
Total6,864100.00
Valid votes6,86498.78
Invalid/blank votes851.22
Total votes6,949100.00
Registered voters/turnout8,47681.98
Anti-Revolutionary hold
Source: Electoral Council,[19] Huygens Institute[21]
1909 general election: Ommen
CandidatePartyVotes%
Abraham KuyperAR4,14157.12
H.W. TeesselinkLib3,10942.88
Total7,250100.00
Valid votes7,25098.31
Invalid/blank votes1251.69
Total votes7,375100.00
Registered voters/turnout9,02681.71
Anti-Revolutionary hold
Source: Electoral Council,[22] Huygens Institute[23]

Elections in the 1910s

1912 Ommen by-election
CandidatePartyVotes%
Cornelis Bichon van IJsselmondeOCH4,18154.14
H. van der VegteAR3,54145.86
Total7,722100.00
Valid votes7,72299.52
Invalid/blank votes370.48
Total votes7,759100.00
Registered voters/turnout8,66789.52
OCH gain
Source: Electoral Council,[22] Huygens Institute[24]
1913 general election: Ommen
CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Cornelis Bichon van IJsselmondeOCH4,46949.265,07853.00
Johannes Theodoor de VisserCHU4,33747.804,50447.00
G. SchotveldSDAP2072.28
B. BerendsCHU600.66
Total9,073100.009,582100.00
Valid votes9,07398.059,58299.49
Invalid/blank votes1801.95490.51
Total votes9,253100.009,631100.00
Registered voters/turnout10,30489.8010,30493.47
OCH hold
Source: Electoral Council,[25] Huygens Institute[26][27]
1917 general election: Ommen
CandidatePartyVotes%
Cornelis Bichon van IJsselmondeOCH3,27678.30
H.J. KruidenierPP90821.70
Total4,184100.00
Valid votes4,18498.61
Invalid/blank votes591.39
Total votes4,243100.00
Registered voters/turnout10,87639.01
OCH hold
Source: Electoral Council,[28] Huygens Institute[29]

Notes

  1. ^ The procès-verbal states the total number of valid votes as being 4,095, nine fewer than the sum of the candidates' votes.
  2. ^ The procès-verbal states the total number of valid votes as being 7,189, three fewer than the sum of the candidates' votes.

References

  1. ^ "Gemeenten per district: Ommen". Huygens Institute (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  2. ^ De Jong, Ron; Van der Kolk, Henk; Voerman, Gerrit (2011). Verkiezingen op de kaart 1848-2010: Tweede Kamerverkiezingen vanuit geografisch perspectief [Elections on the map 1848-2010: House of Representative elections from a geographic perspective] (in Dutch). Utrecht: Uitgeverij Matrijs. ISBN 9789053454374.
  3. ^ "Samenstelling per district: Ommen". Huygens Institute (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  4. ^ "A. baron van Dedem". Parlement.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  5. ^ "J. (Jan) van Alphen". Parlement.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Dr. A. (Abraham) Kuyper". Parlement.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  7. ^ "Mr. C.J.A. Bichon van IJsselmonde". Parlement.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  8. ^ a b Tweede Kamer 6 maart 1888, Electoral Council
  9. ^ Verkiezingsuitslag Ommen (06/03/1888), Huygens Institute
  10. ^ Verkiezingsuitslag Ommen (04/04/1888), Huygens Institute
  11. ^ Tweede Kamer 9 juni 1891, Electoral Council
  12. ^ Verkiezingsuitslag Ommen (09/06/1891), Huygens Institute
  13. ^ Tweede Kamer 10 april 1894, Electoral Council
  14. ^ Verkiezingsuitslag Ommen (10/04/1894), Huygens Institute
  15. ^ Tweede Kamer 15 juni 1897, Electoral Council
  16. ^ Verkiezingsuitslag Ommen (15/06/1897), Huygens Institute
  17. ^ Tweede Kamer 14 juni 1901, Electoral Council
  18. ^ Verkiezingsuitslag Ommen (14/06/1901), Huygens Institute
  19. ^ a b Tweede Kamer 16 juni 1905, Electoral Council
  20. ^ Verkiezingsuitslag Ommen (16/06/1905), Huygens Institute
  21. ^ Verkiezingsuitslag Ommen (16/06/1905), Huygens Institute
  22. ^ a b Tweede Kamer 11 juni 1909, Electoral Council
  23. ^ Verkiezingsuitslag Ommen (11/06/1909), Huygens Institute
  24. ^ Verkiezingsuitslag Ommen (27/11/1912), Huygens Institute
  25. ^ Tweede Kamer 17 juni 1913, Electoral Council
  26. ^ Verkiezingsuitslag Ommen (17/06/1913), Huygens Institute
  27. ^ Verkiezingsuitslag Ommen (25/06/1913), Huygens Institute
  28. ^ Tweede Kamer 15 juni 1917, Electoral Council
  29. ^ Verkiezingsuitslag Ommen (15/06/1917), Huygens Institute