Tag Archives: plumping

The 1872 Secret Ballot and Multiple Member Seats

Posted on November 22, 2022 by salmonphilip

Following on from our recent events and blogs marking the 150th anniversary of the introduction of  the secret ballot, Dr Philip Salmon explores some of the Act’s lesser known and unintended consequences. The Ballot Act of 1872 sits alongside the … Continue reading →

Posted in Constituencies, Elections | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The mathematics of Victorian representation: part 2

Posted on May 8, 2014 by salmonphilip

In an earlier blog on Victorian double-member elections, we looked at the differences between the total vote received by candidates and the levels of support for each party. Put simply, owing to splitting (cross-party voting) and other ‘non-party’ forms of … Continue reading →

Posted in Constituencies, Elections | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The mathematics of Victorian representation: part 1

Posted on February 5, 2014 by salmonphilip

In this new series of posts, we look at the Victorian multi-member constituencies that predated the UK’s current electoral system and highlight the mathematical challenges they pose for historians. The first-past-the-post system of electing MPs has long been viewed as … Continue reading →

Posted in Constituencies, Elections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments