The Electoral System - 1780

Question 1

What percentage of people could vote?

Answer 1

5% of 8 Million people could actually vote.

Question 2

What are some examples of cities with no MPs?

Answer 2

Manchester, Birmingham didn’t have a single MP

Question 3

What are rotten boroughs?

Answer 3

Boroughs that people could win a seat in easily by bribing people.

Question 4

What were some aspects of voting?

Answer 4

Voting was public, and votes were open (which allowed people to manipulate votes), and was always very chaotic.

Question 5

What were the voting requirements in counties?

Answer 5

In counties, all men who owned property worth 40 shillings (£400) a year could vote.

Question 6

what were the 5 borough voting qualifications?

Answer 6

1. Scot and lot boroughs: taxes that were paid for relief of the poor could vote.
2. Pot walloper Boroughs: all men who occupied a house who had a big family pot could vote.
3. Burgage Boroughs: all men who owned burgages (ancient plots of land or other property) could vote.
4. Corporate Boroughs: only members of the local town council could vote.
5. Freeman Boroughs: Freemans could vote.

Question 7

What are Pocket Boroughs?

Answer 7

When a small electorate are all under the influence of the landowner and the landowner has them in their “pocket”.