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 97% of voters with an 80% turnout.[1] As with other plebiscites 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
editAll 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
editThe 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.