Ritual and Rhythm in Electoral Systems

'Graeme Orr has produced a brilliant and compelling account of the role of ritual in elections. This book should be required reading for constitutional lawyers and electoral administrators who will come to understand that the act of voting is but one moment in a far bigger cultural drama.' Stephen Coleman, University of Leeds, UK, and author of How Voters Feel 'In this important book, Graeme Orr goes a long way to helping us understand why elections matter so much. Beyond the mere casting and counting of votes, they consist of practices and processes that are imbued with deep meaning. This account of how the law provides a canvas upon which that meaning may be painted is masterful.' Andrew Geddis, University of Otago, New Zealand, and author of Election Law in New Zealand 'This is a masterly book - imaginative in conception, brilliantly executed, and above all beautifully written. Professor Orr is not only one of our best election lawyers, but also one of our most elegant and accessible legal writers. His original and skilful account of the ritual and rhythms of election day is both a work of great scholarship and a compelling read.' Keith Ewing, King's College London, UK, and author of The Cost of Democracy 'Departing from the usual demographic-quantitative accounts, Graeme Orr offers an engaging, thoroughly researched interpretation of the tenor and cadence of the rituals of electoral politics, rituals redolent with intriguing symbolism and meaning.' Ron Hirschbein, California State University, USA, and author of Voting Rites 'In a radical departure from the usual writing about elections, Graeme Orr offers a fascinating sociology of elections, unmasking them as important rituals with deep social and affective significance. He persuades us that elections are not just about rules and numbers, winners and losers; they also operate on a social-systems level as indispensable occasions for political communion and the renewal of democratic community.' Lisa Hill, University of Adelaide, Australia and author of Compulsory Voting: For and Against 'Ritual and Rhythm in Electoral Systems brings an eye-catching High Church flourish, and a near sacerdotal intensity, to the complex field of comparative electoral law, canvassing its rites and elaborate ceremonies with an eye that is as much anthropological as it is theological. The result is a profound study in what might be called the jurispathology of everyday electoral life. Judiciously combining theory and practice, as well as doctrine and context, Orr's elegantly written and meticulously researched book is sure to attract a wide readership in law, politics, and government.' William MacNeil, Griffith University, Australia and author of Lex Populi