1788 Polish-Lithuanian legislative election

1788 Polish-Lithuanian Sejm election

18 August 1788 (1788-08-18)
All 177 seats in the Chamber of Deputies 89 seats were needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Michał Jerzy Poniatowski Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki Party Patriotic Party Hetmans' Party Leader's seat Did not stand Did not stand Seats won 93 68
Marshal before election Stanisław Kostka Gadomski Pro-Prussia Party Elected Marshal Stanisław Małachowski Patriotic Party

The 1788 election held in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth marked one of the most crucial events in the history of both countries prior to 1795. The elections returned a significant pro-reform camp to the Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth chosen to repair the Commonwealth's political system and prevent the country from collapsing. The Sejm that emerged as a result of the election has been dubbed the Great Sejm.

Background

The election was called by the King in May 1788 and the Sejmiks gathered to elect the deputies in August. The Sejm gathered on 28 September.

Sejmik Districts

#	Constituency	Voivodeship	Deputies
1	Kraków	Kraków	8
2	Poznań	Poznań	8
3	Vilnius	Vilnius	2
4	Ashmyany	Vilnius	2
5	Lida	Vilnius	2
6	Vilkmergė	Vilnius	2
7	Braslaw	Vilnius	2
8	Sandomierz	Sandomierz	7
9	Kalisz	Kalisz	8
10	Trakai	Trakai	2
11	Hrodna	Trakai	2
12	Kaunas	Trakai	2
13	Upytė	Trakai	2
14	Sieradz	Sieradz	4
15	Wieluń	Sieradz	2
16	Leczyca Łęczyca	Leczyca Łęczyca	4
17	Samogitia	Samogitia	6
18	Brześć Kujawski	Brześć Kujawski	2
19	Kiev	Kiev	6
20	Inowrocław	Inowrocław	4
21	Chełm	Ruthenia	2
22	Volhynia	Volhynia	6
23	Podolia	Podolia	6
24	Smolensk	Smolensk	4
25	Lublin	Lublin	6
26	Polotsk	Polotsk	2
27	Navahrudak	Navahrudak	2
28	Slonim	Navahrudak	2

#	Constituency	Voivodeship	Deputies
29	Vawkavysk	Navahrudak	2
30	Płock	Płock	4
31	Vitebsk	Vitebsk	2
32	Czersk	Masovia	2
33	Warsaw	Masovia	2
34	Wizna	Masovia	2
35	Wyszogród	Masovia	2
36	Zakroczym	Masovia	2
37	Ciechanów	Masovia	2
38	Lomza Łomża	Masovia	2
39	Różan	Masovia	2
40	Liw	Masovia	2
41	Nur	Masovia	2
42	Drohiczyn	Podlachia	2
43	Bielsk Podlaski	Podlachia	2
44	Mielnik	Podlachia	2
45	Rawa Mazowiecka	Rawa Mazowiecka	2
46	Sochaczew	Rawa Mazowiecka	2
47	Gostynin	Rawa Mazowiecka	2
48	Brest-Litovsk	Brest-Litovsk	2
49	Pinsk	Brest-Litovsk	2
50	Bratslav	Bratslav	6
51	Minsk	Minsk	2
52	Mazyr	Minsk	2
53	Rechytsa	Minsk	2
54	Livonia	Livonia	6
55	Chernihiv	Chernihiv	4
--	Total	--	177

See also

• History of Poland in the Early Modern era (1569–1795)
• Great Sejm

References

• U. Augustyniak, Historia Polski 1572–1795, Warszawa 2008
• M. Markiewicz, Historia Polski 1494–1795, Kraków 2002