In spite of the popularity of both Larsen and the popular front, voter support for the party was small. Although the communists got 40,983 votes in the 1939 election and went from two to three seats in Folketinget, the increase was much smaller than they had hoped for, which was a great disappointment to Larsen. The communists were further disappointed by the 1939 constitutional referendum two months later, where they had campaigned in favour of the new constitution which was not passed.