37:
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Employers and landowners had been able to use their sway over employees and tenants to influence the vote, either by being present themselves or by sending representatives to check on the votes as they were being cast. Small retailers were also concerned not to upset their bigger customers by voting
432:
Although the ballot in the UK is routinely characterized as "secret" the fact that ballot papers are numbered, and that the voter's electoral roll identifier is written on its identically numbered counterfoil by the officer issuing the ballot to the voter at the voting station, means that in
327:, or Second Reform Act, enfranchised the skilled working class in borough constituencies, and it was felt that their economic circumstances would cause such voters to be particularly susceptible to bribery, intimidation or blackmail. The radical
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Election spending at the time was unlimited, and many voters would take bribes from both sides. While the secret ballot might have had some effect in reducing corruption in
British politics, the
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had opposed the introduction of a secret ballot. They felt that pressure from patrons on tenants was legitimate and that a secret ballot was simply unmanly and cowardly.
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358:
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archive.org: "The Ballot Act, 1872, with an
Introduction: Forming a Guide to the Procedure at Parliamentary and Municipal Elections", p. 97 (Fitzgerald, London, 1876)
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voiced his opposition to the creation of a culture of secrecy in elections, which he believed should be public affairs. He saw it as "an obvious prelude from
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561:
324:
239:
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426:
415:
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425:, as it enabled tenants to vote against the landlord class in parliamentary elections. The principal result of the Act was seen in the
1104:
1038:
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158:
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472:
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expressed concerns that tenants would face the threat of eviction if they voted against the wishes of their landlord. It fell to
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41:
411:. Of those who voted, 16%, were illiterate, and special arrangements had to be made to record their previously-open oral votes.
208:
1116:
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343:
193:
889:
884:
1167:
673:
Evidence by
Professor Robert Blackburn to the Select Committee on Home Affairs, Minutes of Evidence given on 2nd June 1998
450:
361:
formalised the position and is seen by many to have been the key legislation in the attempts to end electoral corruption.
1099:
396:
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381:
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218:
188:
173:
148:
686:""La marche des opérations électorales ". Bepalingen rond kiesverrichtingen in de Belgische kieswetgeving, 1830–1940"
588:
183:
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49:
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telegraph.co.uk: "Our voting system is flawed, but politicians don't seem to care" (Moore) 30 May 2014
332:
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642:‘Watched with considerable curiosity’: The first secret ballot in Britain, 15 August 1872
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243:
54:
An Act to amend the Law relating to
Procedure at Parliamentary and Municipal Elections.
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462:
388:
300:
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to implement a similar system in
Belgium, which he did with the act of 9 July 1877 (
320:, had long campaigned for the system to end by the introduction of a secret ballot.
914:
109:
429:, which marked the end of a landlord interest in both Ireland and Great Britain.
783:
495:
467:
442:
328:
404:
550:
Electing Our
Masters: The Hustings in British Politics from Hogarth to Blair
317:
710:
701:
433:
principle the identity of a voter can be linked to the ballot they cast.
1074:
656:, D J Hickey & J E Doherty, Gill and Macmillan, Dublin, 1980, p. 24.
447:
la loi du 9 juillet 1877 sur le secret du vote et les fraudes électorales
304:
335:, the husband of Bright's sister, to introduce the Ballot Act on leave.
422:
297:
parliamentary and local government elections in the United
Kingdom
418:, which saw the first Conservative majority elected since 1841.
372:, is considered to have ushered in today's electoral practices.
739:
562:
bl.uk: "Learning - Dreamers and
Dissenters: The Secret Ballot"
589:
LEAVE. FIRST READING. House of
Commons Debates, MR. LEATHAM
574:
salford.gov.uk: "Factsheet - December 2006: Ballot secrecy"
414:
The first general election using a secret ballot was in
380:
The secret ballot mandated by the Act was first used on
983:
1034:
Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
370:
Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers) Act 1875
1029:
European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999 (repealed)
601:
SECOND READING. House of Commons Debate, MR. LEATHAM
421:
The Ballot Act 1872 was of particular importance in
1067:
996:
973:
House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949
968:
House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1944
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907:
782:
771:
407:, sealed in wax with a liquorice stamp, is held at
270:
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136:
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118:
108:
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81:
71:
58:
48:
1049:Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013
1014:Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883
359:Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883
16:United Kingdom law reforming the electoral system
732:(July 1974), Vol. 24 Issue 7, pp 464–471 online.
1112:2011 United Kingdom Alternative Vote referendum
1019:European Assembly Elections Act 1978 (repealed)
1054:Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022
307:system of nomination and election in Britain.
154:Parliamentary Elections, New Shoreham Act 1771
751:
316:differently from them. Radicals, such as the
8:
159:Parliamentary Elections (Cricklade) Act 1782
24:
948:Parliamentary Boundaries (Ireland) Act 1832
552:(Oxford University Press, 2009), pp. 45–48.
224:Parliamentary Elections (Scotland) Act 1865
214:Parliamentary Elections (Scotland) Act 1855
199:Parliamentary Elections (Scotland) Act 1834
179:Parliamentary Elections, Aylesbury Act 1804
1044:Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (repealed)
1024:Registration of Political Parties Act 1998
958:Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918
779:
758:
744:
736:
728:Woodall, Robert. "The Ballot Act of 1872"
209:Parliamentary Elections (Ireland) Act 1846
23:
709:
591:, 14 February 1870 vol 199 cc268-84 § 268
510:
508:
169:Oaths at Parliamentary Elections Act 1802
164:Oaths at Parliamentary Elections Act 1794
364:The Ballot Act, in combination with the
204:Parliamentary Elections (No. 2) Act 1836
690:Revue Belge de Philologie et d'Histoire
584:
582:
484:
1158:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1872
766:Electoral reform in the United Kingdom
453:were a victory for the Liberal Party.
194:Royal Burghs, etc. (Scotland) Act 1834
988:Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020
978:Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986
325:Representation of the People Act 1867
272:Text of statute as originally enacted
240:Representation of the People Act 1949
7:
631:Pontefract's secret ballot box, 1872
603:, 16 March 1870 vol 200 cc10-60 § 10
490:
488:
401:Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
303:. The act abolished the traditional
295:that introduced the requirement for
1137:Parliamentary franchise (1885–1918)
1163:Election law in the United Kingdom
537:www.parliament.uk: 1872 Ballot Act
441:The Act inspired Belgian minister
14:
1039:Electoral Administration Act 2006
943:Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832
1004:Parliamentary Elections Act 1868
953:Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
473:Representation of the People Act
293:Parliament of the United Kingdom
219:Parliamentary Elections Act 1862
189:Burghs, etc. (Scotland) Act 1834
174:Parliamentary Elections Act 1803
149:Parliamentary Elections Act 1698
42:Parliament of the United Kingdom
35:
1117:Elections in the United Kingdom
399:, following his appointment as
963:Government of Ireland Act 1920
184:Bribery, East Retford Act 1830
1:
654:A Dictionary of Irish History
498:was conferred on this act by
366:Municipal Elections Act 1875
1080:Unreformed House of Commons
1184:
1085:Rotten and pocket boroughs
21:United Kingdom legislation
830:
34:
29:
1132:Parliament in the Making
427:general election of 1880
83:Territorial extent
1090:University constituency
920:England and Wales, 1835
807:England and Wales, 1867
792:England and Wales, 1832
564:, retrieved 31 May 2014
397:ministerial by-election
702:10.3406/rbph.2003.4727
621:38 & 39 Vict, c.84
612:38 & 39 Vict, c.40
684:Donald Weber (2003).
1168:Election legislation
1127:Boundary commissions
576:, retrieved May 2014
333:Edward Aldam Leatham
76:Edward Aldam Leatham
935:Constituency reform
644:, by Dr Kathryn Rix
26:
1059:Elections Act 2022
997:Other related Acts
352:universal suffrage
250:Electoral Act 1963
1145:
1144:
1122:Corrupt practices
903:
902:
773:Representation of
539:(archival record)
451:elections of 1878
409:Pontefract museum
340:the Establishment
285:35 & 36 Vict.
277:
276:
137:Other legislation
90:England and Wales
65:35 & 36 Vict.
30:Act of Parliament
1175:
1095:Women's suffrage
908:Municipal Reform
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403:. The original
265:Status: Repealed
132:31 December 1880
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723:Further reading
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142:Repeals/revokes
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696:(2): 311–342.
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287:c. 33) was an
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124:18 July 1872
120:Commencement
114:18 July 1872
110:Royal assent
18:
784:Reform Acts
496:short title
468:Reform Acts
443:Jules Malou
329:John Bright
1152:Categories
500:section 33
479:References
405:ballot box
393:Pontefract
391:as MP for
311:Background
233:Relates to
50:Long title
348:household
318:Chartists
1075:Chartism
457:See also
386:re-elect
368:and the
338:Many in
305:hustings
93:Scotland
60:Citation
449:). The
423:Ireland
376:Effects
291:of the
129:Expired
96:Ireland
660:
437:Abroad
1100:Wales
494:This
395:in a
104:Dates
67:c. 33
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890:1993
885:1991
880:1990
875:1989
870:1985
865:1983
860:1981
855:1969
850:1949
845:1948
840:1928
835:1918
822:1884
658:ISBN
416:1874
323:The
279:The
706:hdl
698:doi
384:to
354:".
350:to
289:act
254:RoI
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581:^
507:^
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244:UK
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