Reasons for votes being rejected?

Several entries in the poll book for the 1818 Westminster elections have a note appended saying "Sent to High Baliff and rejected". Could rejection be due to non-payment of rates, a spoiled vote, or some other reason?

I really have no idea why so I searched using '1818 Westminster elections have a note appended saying "Sent to High Baliff and rejected" and this was the first result. Did the High Bailiff get fed up of being done out of his money.
This makes interesting reading where the printers of the Poll books were threarened with violence in the 1818 elections byvoters.
https://www.reading.ac.uk/web/files/...pollbooks2.pdf
Christina

Interesting! Burdett was obviously a bit too radical for some...

I think I may have answered my own question:

"On refusal to swear, poll to be rejected.

And if any person or persons shall refuse or neglect to take the oaths respectively appointed to be taken, or, being a Quaker, shall refuse or neglect to make such solemn affirmation, as aforesaid, then, and in every such case, the poll or vote of such person or persons, so neglecting or refusing, shall be, and the same is hereby declared to be null and void, and as such shall be rejected and disallowed.

The oath Geo. I. to be taken, if required.

Presiding officer and sworn clerk to administer the oaths, on penalty of 60 l..

2. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That at all times, from and after the said first day of June, in the year of our Lord 1725, upon every election of such citizen or citizens, officer or officers by the liverymen of the said city, and upon every election of such. officer or officers at any wardmote of the said city, as aforesaid, all and every person and persons, having a right to vote or poll at such election or elections, shall, before he be admitted to vote or poll thereat (if required by any of the candidates, or any two or more of the electors) first take the oaths in and by an act made in the first year of his majesty's reign, intituled, An act for the further security of his majesty's person and government, and the succession of the crown in the heirs of the late princess Sophia, being Protestants, and for extinguishing the hopes of the pretended prince of Wales, and his open and secret abettors, appointed to be taken; or being one of the people called Quakers, shall, if required, as aforesaid, solemnly affirm the effect thereof; and if any person or persons shall, being required thereunto, as aforesaid, refuse or neglect to take the said oaths, by the said act appointed to be taken, or to affirm the effect thereof, as aforesaid; that then the poll or vote of such person or persons so neglecting or refusing, shall be, and the same is hereby declared to be null and void, and as such shall be rejected and disallowed."

Appendix: Act of George I for Regulation of Elections


https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no...ndon/pp863-868

REFORM OF PARLIAMENT
Extract
"The Committee appointed by the Electors of Westminster, to conduct the election of John Cam Hobhouse Esq, to their Constituents, on the final close of the Poll.
ELECTORS OF WESTMINSTER
The POLL has CLOSED and your coalesced enemies, the WHIGS, the Tories, and the ANARCHISTS, have barely succeeded in obtaining the return of a Member. They have obtained NO Triumph.
Taxation has produced the most degrading POVERTY, and POVERTY has been made the pretext for DISENFRANCHISING the People. The Collectors of the Poor Rate arbitrarily fixed the time up to which the Rate should be paid, and the High Bailiff capriciously rejected the Votes of those who could not conform to the Mandate of the Collectors!
Nearly 2000 Electors have been thus prevented polling or deterred from coming to the Hustings ...."

Committee Room,
King Street, Covent Gardens,
Three o'clock, Mar 3 1819

Ah, so those whose votes were rejected either refused to swear or hadn't paid up in time - thank you!

You'll have spotted the pamphlet extract I posted related to the 1819 Westminster election. It emphasised the importance of paying taxes etc. on time and a bit of skullduggery practised by others.
This relates to the 1818 Westminster election -
"He wished to expose the tricks of their adversaries. They had on the hustings an army of collectors of taxes, and when any person came to vote for Sir Murray Maxwell, they received his vote.; but, if any came for Sir Francis Burdett, their votes were instantly objected to. Besides that, there were many who had not paid their part of the rates and taxes; and the tax gatherers had remitted their taxes to some of them, that they might vote for the Government Candidate."
I found a lovely description of a Lord voting and being objected to on the grounds of failing to pay his taxes on three properties and and the parish books being checked there and then before he could proceed. As it turned out he was a "plumper" - which was noted by the crowd.

This has been a fascinating post - thanks.

It all goes to show that vote rigging has a long history and it's still going on in some ways, I suppose?