Between and the House of Commons consisted of Members elected by constituencies. The English constituencies 40 counties, boroughs, 2 universities returned Members; the 24 Welsh constituencies and 45 Scottish constituencies returned one Member each. In the addition of Irish Members elected by 66 constituencies made an Imperial Parliament of Members. The county franchise qualified to vote men possessed of freehold valued for the land tax assessments at 40 s.
This freehold qualification could be interpreted as including leaseholders for life, annuitants, holders of rent charges and of mortgages on freehold; holders of ecclesiastical benefices; and placeholders in government service.
A freeholder might be required to swear an oath as to his qualification, which might be contested at the poll when he presented himself to vote.
A vote might be rejected, or reserved pending adjudication; or it might be subsequently challenged. In Norfolk a scrutiny of the poll involving a couple of hundred doubtful votes was ordered after the election of such a procedure was, however, so expensive that it was generally avoided unless the contest was very close.
Polls were conducted at only one place in each county, though there were usually distinct booths for the different divisions of the county. The distance travelled by voters and provision for their accommodation and entertainment added greatly to the expense of county elections.
