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182 III. CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION OF SWEDEN.
Table 31. Elections to Lower House of the Riksdag 1872199.
Ordinary elections. Population, end of previous year. Entitled to vote’. Voting.
Total. Ken, 21 /w years. Total. % of I £ of men popul. of age. i X of Total. | entltl. i voter».
In 1872.......... 4,204,177 1,093,711 236,120 5 62 2159 45,198 19-1
> 1875.......... 4,341,559 1,115,715 255,552 589 22-90 49,765 19-5
> 1878.......... 4,484,542 1,162,046 270,337 6 08 23-26 54,821 20-8
> 1881.......... 4,565,668 1.193,154 281,163 616 2356 66,591 23-7
» 1884.......... 4,603,595 1,200,071 291,668 684 2412 73,636 25-2
» 1887»......... 4,717,189 1,253,164 278,039 5-89 2219 99,870 35-9
» 1890.......... 4,774,409 1,261,593 288,096 603 22-84 110,896 38-6
» 1893 ....... 4,806,865 1,259,224 298,810 6’22 23-78 126,691 42-4
» 1896.......... 4,919,260 1,291,826 309,889 6-81 23 99 140,488 45-3
» 1899.......... 5,062,918 1,340,709 339,876 67V 25-85 136,982 40-3
of at least 6,000 kronor, or, finally, an income of at least 800 kronor
per year. Furthermore, it is necessary not to be in debts for unpaid
municipal taxes. The whole number of qualified voters amounted in
1899 to 340,000, or 25 % of the men having reached majority. It will
be seen by Table 31 how this number has changed since 1872.
For eligibility to the Second Chamber, it is necessary to enjoy
elective franchise, to be 25 years old, and to be domiciled within the
constituency. The latter peculiar stipulation is an expression of the
very developed aversion of the Swedes to so-called professional
politicians. Since the members of the Second Chamber have a salary
(1,200 kronor), it is not necessary to have a private fortune in order to
be able to accept the office. — The elections are for a term of three
years. If the Chamber is dissolved during the term (which has occurred
only once, namely in 1887), the new elections hold good only for the
remainder of the current three years’ term. The ordinary election years
are shown by the table.
The manner of election (direct or indirect election) is determined
by every constituency separately, but cannot be altered until after the
lapse of five years. At the present, direct election is used in 181
constituencies and indirect (through electors) only in 15, all
constituencies of the latter kind being in the country. The election is in the
towns presided over by the magistrates, in the country by the
chairmen of the communal assemblies, who send in a report of the elections
to the judge, that counts the votes and publishes the result. (In
elections by electors, these are called together for voting by the judges.)
Elections are carried on with closed ballots. Absolute majority is not
required for the elected candidate; when the votes are equal on both
1 Including those otherwise entitled to vote who were delinquent in taxes, the nnmber
of voters amounted for the year 1899 to 401,109, or 7 92 % of the entire population and 29 92 *
of men of age. — « At the elections in March, 1887, after the dissolution of the House,
the number of those entitled to vote waB 274,733, and of actual voters 132,265, or 48’1 %.
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