​In the old days—not so very long ago—it was common practice to actually buy votes by giving cash to voters in exchange for a promise of support at the polls. The so-called “rotten boroughs” or “pocket boroughs” in England were essentially owned by one man, or his family, and through cash incentives or the pressure imposed by a landlord, voters were persuaded to vote for the people with the money and power. On top of that, voters did not have a secret ballot, so the pressures and inducements could be applied with real consequences.

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