Assembly of Representatives election, 1931

Elections to the Assembly of Representatives were held in Mandate Palestine on 5 January 1931. Mapai emerged as the largest party.

Electoral system

Voter choice was limited by ethnic groups; Ashkenazi Jews could only vote for Ashkenazi lists, whilst Sephardic Jews and Yemenite Jews were similarly constrained. A total of 18 lists contested the election.

Campaign

The elections were boycotted by Agudat Yisrael in protest at women being allowed to vote and the Yishuv's approach to religious education and ritual slaughter.

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats
Mapai	21,497	43.5	27
Revisionists	8,069	16.3	10
Mizrachi-Hapoel HaMizrachi	4,107	8.3	5
General Zionists	2,841	5.7	5
Sephardic Bloc	2,301	4.7	6
Sephardic Revisionists	2,121	4.3	5
Women's Association	1,861	3.8	3
Sephardic Workers	1,653	3.3	4
Yemenites	1,515	3.1	3
Poale Zion	902	1.8	1
Borochov Workers	891	1.8	1
Hashomer Hatzair	812	1.6	1
Proletarian List	524	1.1	0
Artisans Group	352	0.7	0
Sephardic Poale Zion	28	0.1	0
Sephardic Borochov Workers	1	0.0	0
Middle Class Association	–	–	0
Hitahdut HaIkarim	–	–	0
Invalid/blank	961	–	–
Total	50,436	100	71
Registered voters/turnout	75,046	67.2	–
Source: UNISPAL

Aftermath

Following its election, the Assembly elected the 23-member Jewish National Council. Of the 23 elected members, 11 were from Mapai, four from the Sephardim Bloc, three from Mizrachi, three from the General Zionists and two from smaller parties. The Revisionists refused to join the Council on the basis that the Assembly refused to pass three resolutions it presented on not taking part in the Legislative Council, overturning the decision of the Jewish Agency to take part in a round table conference or to not send members to negotiate with the British government.