Századok – 2016
2016 / 6. szám - KÖZLEMÉNYEK - Hollósi Gábor: Az 1937. évi választójogi novella
1512 HOLLÓSI GÁBOR THE 1937 ELECTORAL NOVELLA by Gábor Hollósi Summary The paper explores act no. VIII. of 1937 and its parliamentary debate, with the aim of measuring its historical importance from the perspective of the mutual expectations of the contemporary governing party and its opposition. Accordingly, it is primarily based on contemporary sources, starting from an analysis of parliamentary speeches recorded in the 1937 minutes of the House of Representatives, and the attached documents (bills and commitee reports) which have survived in other documents of the House. The paper at first surveys the development of the system of designating parliamentary candidates from 1919, and then examines the constitutional context of the act, that is, its place among contemporary constitutional reforms (the extension of the authority of the governor and the Upper Chamber, and the introduction of general secret ballot). Next, it analyses the chief dispositions of the act in the mirror of opposition speeches, summarising the problems that arose with regard to the individual sections, as well as the potential (or actual) abuses. It also deals with the social problems that surfaced during the parliamentary debate of the act, and draws attention to the necessity of exploring not only the problem of contemporary secret ballot but also the so-called electoral correctives (precautions) in their entirety.
