They Had Elections in the Medieval Era
Elections were not as widespread and regular in the medieval world as they are today. Nor was there anything at the time like universal suffrage. However, medieval people did have elections. They routinely elected aldermen, members of parliament, bishops, abbots, popes, and sometimes even kings. There were, of course, important differences between medieval elections and modern ones. Not least among the differences was just how narrow was the slice of the population that got to vote in any elections. However, there were also striking similarities, chief among them the belief that elections conferred legitimacy.
People in the Middle Ages had ambivalent views when it came to elections. On the one hand, the medieval 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.
