1852 French Second Empire referendum
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A referendum on re-establishing the Empire was held in France on 21 and 22 November 1852. Voters were asked whether they approved of the re-establishment of the Empire in the person of Louis Napoléon Bonaparte and family. It was approved by 96.9% of voters with a 79.8% turnout.[1] As with other plebicites under Napoleon III (and Napoleon I), the results were rigged and only served to legitimize their rule under a false sense of democracy.[2][3]
Suffrage[edit]
All French men over the age of 21 were entitled to vote in a commune in which they had resided for six months. Algerians and Kanaks had no right to vote.
Results[edit]
The vote was secret with the exception of those serving in the military. However, the authorities only printed yes ballots - voters had to supply their own ballots with no.
| Choice | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| For | 7,824,189 | 96.87 | |
| Against | 253,145 | 3.13 | |
| Total | 8,077,334 | 100.00 | |
| Valid votes | 8,077,334 | 99.22 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | 63,326 | 0.78 | |
| Total votes | 8,140,660 | 100.00 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | 10,203,458 | 79.78 | |
| Source: Direct Democracy | |||
References[edit]
- ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, pp. 673, 683. ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
- ^ Doyle, William (2001). The French Revolution: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-19-157837-3.
- ^ Tierney, Stephen (2012). Constitutional Referendums: The Theory and Practice of Republican Deliberation. OUP Oxford. p. 100. ISBN 978-0-19-162908-2.
