Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Election
(4,015 words)

1. Early modern period

1.1. Concept and introduction

The transfer of powers to authorities and officeholders on the basis of formalized voting procedures was known and practiced from Antiquity. In the Late Middle Ages and the first centuries of the early modern period, a plethora of different processes came under the category of electio. The concept also included cooption, acclamation, and selection by lot (see below, 2.) [9]; [7]. In general, entitlement to vote was confined to a socially exclusive group, and eve…

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Weller, Thomas and Brandt, Hartwig, “Election”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_029941>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20170626



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