Ottoman electoral law

Ottoman electoral law refers to the evolving legal framework governing elections to the Ottoman parliament, first codified on an imperial level in December of 1876 alongside the first Ottoman constitution (Kanun-ı Esasi). The initial law established formal representative governance within the Ottoman state, namely procedures for selecting members for the Chamber of Deputies (Meclis-i Mebusan).

Comprehensive in scope, the 1876 law included the structure of electoral districts, parliamentary contingencies, the preparation of voter registers, the qualifications and disqualifications for both voters and candidates, the two-stage system of indirect elections, the method of selection and the duties of electoral inspection committees, and requirements for suffrage. The law also included provisions for by-elections, voting conduct, and penal clauses for electoral fraud or obstruction.

Although parliament was suspended in 1878 by Sultan Abdülhamid II, the law remained the foundational legal document for elections during the Second Constitutional Era (1908–1920), when it was revived with modest amendments. The same electoral framework, with limited modifications, was adopted by the Republic of Turkey and remained in force until the transition to multi-party elections in 1946.