5. Misreported Fact: There Were No Elections in the Middle Ages
The Middle Ages did not have as many elections as today. Nor did they have universal suffrage back then. However, medieval people did have elections. They routinely elected aldermen, members of parliament, bishops, abbots, popes, and sometimes even kings. To be sure, there were important differences between elections today and elections in the Middle Ages. Not least among the differences was just how narrow was the slice of the population that got to vote in any elections. On the other hand, there were similarities, chief among them the belief that elections conferred legitimacy.
In the medieval era, people were on the fence when it came to elections. On the one hand, their belief in elections was based on precedents from the Bible. For example, the Old Testament contains accounts of the Israelites electing Judges and Kings. Also, kings sometimes died without issue, the papacy was not hereditary, and town burghers needed to select people to fill local government positions. Elections were handy in such situations. On the other hand, elections were also seen as cause for strife, and potential starting points for riots, rebellions, or civil wars.
