uties, its use in
elections to the Corps Legislatif was carefully regulated at the beginning
of the Second Empire by the Organic Decree of the 2nd of February 1852.
Under this law the voting was superintended by a bureau consisting of the
deputy returning-officer (called president of the section), four unpaid
assessors selected from the constituency and a secretary. Each voter
presents a polling-card, with his designation, date of birth and signature
(to secure identity), which he had previously got at the Mairie. This the
president mutilates, and the vote is then recorded by a "bulletin," which
is not official, but is generally printed with a candidate's name, and
given to the voter by an agent outside, the only conditions being that the
bulletin shall be "sur papier blanc, sans signes exterieurs, et prepare en
dehors de l'assemblee." The total number of votes given (there being only
one member in each electoral district) is checked by reference to "la
feuille _d'appel_ et inscription des votants," the law still supposing that
each voter is publicly called on to vote. If the voter, when challenged,
cannot sign his polling-card, he may call a witness to sign for him. The
following classes of bulletins are rejected:--"illisibles, blancs, ne
contenant pas une designation suffisante; sur lesquels les votants se sont
fait connaitre; contenant le nom d'une personne n'ayant pas prete le
serment prescrit" (_i.e._ of a person not nominated). Only the votes
pronounced bad by the bureau in presence of representative scrutineers are
preserved, in case these should be called for during the "Session pour
verification des Pouvoirs." Practically the French ballot did not afford
secrecy, for you might observe what bulletin the voter took from the agent,
and follow him up the _queue_ into the polling-place; but the determined
voter might conceal his vote even from the undue influence of government by
scratching out the printed matter and writing his vote. This was always a
good vote and scrutiny of good votes was impossible. The ballot is still
used in the elections to the National Assembly, but in the Assembly itself
only in special cases, as _e.g._ in the election of a "rapporteur." Under
the law of 10th August 1871 the conseils generaux (departmental councils)
are elected by ballot.

In Piedmont the ballot formed part of the free constitutional government
introduced by Charles Albert in March 1848; it was extended to Italy in
1861. Vo