and the result is declared. The writ which served as the returning
officer's authority is indorsed with a certificate of the election and
returned to the clerk of the Crown in Chancery. It is to be observed,
however, that in the universities the Ballot Act does not apply. In
these constituencies an elector may deliver his vote orally, or (p. 094)
he may transmit it by proxy from his place of residence.[134]

[Footnote 134: On electoral procedure see Lowell,
Government of England, I., Chap. 10; M. MacDonaugh,
The Book of Parliament (London, 1897), 24-50; H. J.
Bushby, Manual of the Practice of Elections for the
United Kingdom (4th ed., London, 1874); W.
Woodings, The Conduct and Management of
Parliamentary Elections (4th ed., London, 1900); E.
T. Powell, The Essentials of Self-Government,
England and Wales (London, 1909); P. J. Blair, A
Handbook of Parliamentary Elections (Edinburgh,
1909); and H. Fraser, The Law of Parliamentary
Elections and Election Petitions (2d ed., London,
1910). A volume filled with interesting information
is J. Grego, History of Parliamentary Elections and
Electioneering from the Stuarts to Queen Victoria
(new ed., London, 1892). The monumental work upon
the entire subject is M. Powell (ed.), Rogers on
Elections, 3 vols. (16th ed., London, 1897).]

*99. Frequency of Elections: the Campaign.*--General elections do not
take place in Great Britain with periodic regularity. The only
positive requirement in the matter is that an election must be ordered
when a parliament has attained the maximum lifetime allowed it by law.
Prior to 1694 there was no stipulation upon this subject and the king
could keep a parliament in existence as long as he liked. Charles II.
retained for seventeen years the parliament called at his accession.
From 1694 to 1716, however, the maximum term of a parliament was three
years; from 1716 to 1911 it was seven years; to-day it is five
years.[135] In point of fact, parliaments never last through the
maximum period, and an average interval of three or four years between
elections has been the rule. In most instances an election is
precipit