a
term of five years,[327] by direct and secret ballot, at an election
which takes place on a given day throughout the entire Empire. The
number of seats, fixed tentatively by the constitution of 1871 at 382,
was, by law of June 25, 1873, providing for the election of fifteen
members from Alsace-Lorraine, increased to 397; and it thereafter
remained unchanged. The electoral "circles," or districts, each of
which returns one member, were laid out originally in such a way as to
comprise 100,000 inhabitants each, and also in such a manner that no
district would embrace portions of two or more states. Since 1871
there has been no redistricting of the Empire, and the populations
comprising the various constituencies have become grossly unequal.
Berlin, with more than two million people, is still entitled to but
six seats; and the disproportion in other great cities and densely
inhabited regions is almost as flagrant.[328] There has long been
demand for a redistribution of seats; but, by reason of the proneness
of urban constituencies to return to the Reichstag socialists or other
radicals, the Government has never been willing to meet the (p. 224)
demand. By states, the 397 seats are distributed as follows: Prussia,
236; Bavaria, 48; Saxony, 23; Wuerttemberg, 17; Alsace-Lorraine
(Imperial territory), 15; Baden, 14; Hesse, 9; Mecklenburg-Schwerin,
6; Saxe-Weimar, 3; Oldenburg, 3; Brunswick, 3, Hamburg, 3;
Saxe-Meiningen, 2; Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, 2; Anhalt, 2; and all others,
one each. As in the American House of Representatives, a state is
entitled to one member regardless of its population.

[Footnote 327: The term, originally three years,
was made five by a law of 1888. The modification
went into effect with the Reichstag elected in
February, 1890.]

[Footnote 328: In Conservative East Prussia the
average number of voters in a district is 121,000;
in Socialist Berlin it is 345,000. Twelve of the
most populous districts represented in the
Reichstag contain 1,950,000 voters; twelve of the
least populous, 170,000. The district of
Schaumburg-Lippe has but 9,891.]

*236. Time and Method of Elections.*--Electoral procedure is regulated
by the Election Law of May 31, 1869, amended in minor particulars at
subsequent d