Acclamation
Encyclopedia
An acclamation, in its most common sense, is a form of election
that does not use a ballot
. "Acclamation" or "acclamatio" can also signify a kind of ritual greeting and expression of approval in certain social contexts in ancient Rome.
, in which the voting group is asked who favors and who opposes the proposed candidate. In the event of a lack of opposition, the candidate is considered elected.
This form of election is most commonly associated with papal elections (see Acclamation in papal elections
), though this method was discontinued by Pope John Paul II
's apostolic constitution
Universi Dominici Gregis
. It is also sometimes found in the context of parliamentary decisions, or United States
presidential nominating conventions (where it is often used to nominate the running mate
and incumbent Presidents).
It is a famous tradition at the University of St Andrews Union Debating Society, which is the oldest in the world, to take the minutes as read each week by oral acclamation.
In Canada
, a candidate for a parliamentary, legislative or municipal position is said to be elected by acclamation if he or she has no opponents for the seat, an eventuality that rarely occurs except for legislative elections in the northern territories and municipal
elections. The last instance of an acclamation in an election to the Canadian House of Commons
was in 1957 when George Henry Doucett
was acclaimed in a by-election
following the death of his predecessor William Gourlay Blair
. Just two months before, Chesley William Carter
had been the last person to be acclaimed in a general election
In the Northwest Territories
riding
of Inuvik Boot Lake
, no elector has actually voted since 1999, as at every election since then, the incumbent Floyd Roland
has been returned by acclamation.
.
) and private life. The departure and return of imperial magistrates was, for example, accompanied by acclamation. In the later Roman Empire
, essions of goodwill were reserved for the emperor and certain relatives, who were greeted in this manner during public appearances on special occasions such as their birthdays. By the 4th century AD, acclamations were compulsory for high-level imperial officials.
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
that does not use a ballot
Ballot
A ballot is a device used to record choices made by voters. Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed to protect the...
. "Acclamation" or "acclamatio" can also signify a kind of ritual greeting and expression of approval in certain social contexts in ancient Rome.
Voting
The most frequent type of acclamation is a voice voteVoice vote
A voice vote is a voting method used by deliberative assemblies in which a vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding verbally....
, in which the voting group is asked who favors and who opposes the proposed candidate. In the event of a lack of opposition, the candidate is considered elected.
This form of election is most commonly associated with papal elections (see Acclamation in papal elections
Acclamation (in Papal Elections)
Acclamation was formerly one of the methods of papal election.The method of electing the Roman Pontiff is contained in the constitutions of Gregory XV Æterni Patris Filius and Decet Romanum Pontificem, Urban VIII's constitution Ad Romani Pontificis Providentiam, and John Paul II's Universi...
), though this method was discontinued by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
's apostolic constitution
Apostolic constitution
An apostolic constitution is the highest level of decree issued by the Pope. The use of the term constitution comes from Latin constitutio, which referred to any important law issued by the Roman emperor, and is retained in church documents because of the inheritance that the canon law of the...
Universi Dominici Gregis
Universi Dominici Gregis
Universi Dominici Gregis is an Apostolic Constitution of the Catholic Church issued by Pope John Paul II on February 22, 1996. It superseded Pope Paul VI's 1975 Apostolic Constitution, Romano Pontifici Eligendo....
. It is also sometimes found in the context of parliamentary decisions, or United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
presidential nominating conventions (where it is often used to nominate the running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
and incumbent Presidents).
It is a famous tradition at the University of St Andrews Union Debating Society, which is the oldest in the world, to take the minutes as read each week by oral acclamation.
In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, a candidate for a parliamentary, legislative or municipal position is said to be elected by acclamation if he or she has no opponents for the seat, an eventuality that rarely occurs except for legislative elections in the northern territories and municipal
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
elections. The last instance of an acclamation in an election to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
was in 1957 when George Henry Doucett
George Henry Doucett
George Henry Doucett was a Canadian politician. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and a Member of the Canadian House of Commons...
was acclaimed in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
following the death of his predecessor William Gourlay Blair
William Gourlay Blair
William Gourley Blair was a politician and physician. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1945 election as a Member of the Progressive Conservative Party to represent the riding of Lanark. He was re-elected in 1949, 1953 and in 1957...
. Just two months before, Chesley William Carter
Chesley William Carter
Chesley William Carter was a Canadian Member of Parliament representing the riding of Burin—Burgeo and a senator for Grand Bank, Newfoundland and Labrador....
had been the last person to be acclaimed in a general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
In the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Inuvik Boot Lake
Inuvik Boot Lake
Inuvik Boot Lake is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada.Together with Inuvik Twin Lakes, it is one of two electoral districts that represent Inuvik; both were created in 1999 from the previous monolithic Inuvik riding.- Geography...
, no elector has actually voted since 1999, as at every election since then, the incumbent Floyd Roland
Floyd Roland
Floyd K. Roland, MLA is a politician from Northwest Territories, Canada. He was the 11th Premier of the Northwest Territories, having held office from October 17, 2007 to October 26, 2011....
has been returned by acclamation.
Religion
In liturgical Christian Churches, the Acclamations are the opening sentences at the beginning of the EucharistEucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
.
In ancient Rome
Acclamations were ritual verbal expressions of approval and benediction in public (like gladiatorial gamesGladiator
A gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...
) and private life. The departure and return of imperial magistrates was, for example, accompanied by acclamation. In the later Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, essions of goodwill were reserved for the emperor and certain relatives, who were greeted in this manner during public appearances on special occasions such as their birthdays. By the 4th century AD, acclamations were compulsory for high-level imperial officials.
Further reading
- John N. Wall. A Dictionary for Episcopalians. Cambridge, MACambridge, MassachusettsCambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
: Cowley Publications, 2000.