Tag: Jul-1802

Bribery

Posted on November 29, 2022 (July 3, 2023) by Hillary Burlock

Although technically illegal, bribery was rife in eighteenth-century elections. [15-minute read] Technically, the Corrupt Practices Act of 1695 and the Bribery Act of 1729 made bribery illegal, but it remained endemic to the electoral process. Votes could often be bought, and, with no secret ballot, a candidate or his agents could check that individuals had […]

Challenging votes

Posted on May 23, 2022 (July 3, 2023) by James Harris

Electors often had their entitlement to vote challenged, so had to prove their case [10-minute read] The requirement for every elector to justify their right to vote at the hustings was a routine part of Georgian elections. Eighteenth-century England did not enjoy universal enfranchisement, and the confusing array of franchises (which determined who was legally […]