Plurális választójog a XX. század első felének magyar közjog-tudományában

Absztrakt

Throughout the first part of the 20th century suffrage was an important issue in Hungary; several electoral reforms and reform proposals came to light paving the way to universal, equal and secret suffrage. However, the idea of plural suffrage also came up for debate twice in this period. Plural suffrage means that some people’s votes weigh more than others’ or some electors are eligible to vote multiple times. This practice is a clear deviation from equal suffrage and unimaginable in a contemporary democratic rule of law, except for the plural right to vote of the Italian and Hungarian minorities in Slovenia. It is worth examining these two cases, the underlying motives and the opinion of contemporary constitutional law experts. I will overview the key events of the extension of suffrage in Hungary since 1847 and provide an international outlook on the appearance of plural suffrage in public law and scientific works.