Editing Prussian three-class franchise (section)

== Legal basis ==
[[File:Berlin Herrenhaus 1900.jpg|thumb|left|Prussian House of Lords in 1900.|170x170px]]
The legal basis for the three-class electoral system was the "Ordinance on Conducting the Election of Deputies to the [[Prussian House of Lords|Second Chamber]]" of 30 May 1849<ref>{{Cite web |title=Verordnung betreffend die Ausführung der Wahl der Abgeordneten zur Zweiten Kammer vom 30. Mai 1849 |trans-title=Ordinance on Conducting the Election of Deputies to the Second Chamber of 30 May 1849 |url=https://www.verfassungen.de/preussen/gesetze/pwahlvo49.htm |website=Verfassungen der Welt |language=de}}</ref> and the "Regulations on Conducting Elections to the [[Prussian House of Representatives|House of Deputies]]", which was issued for the implementation of the 30 May ordinance and then repeatedly amended. The three-class electoral system was made part of the revised [[Constitution of Prussia (1850)|Prussian constitution of 31 January 1850]] (paragraph 71).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Verfassungsurkunde für den Preußischen Staat vom 31. Januar 1850 |trans-title=Constitutional Charter for the Prussian State of 31 January 1850 |url=https://www.verfassungen.de/preussen/preussen50-index.htm |website=Verfassungen der Welt |language=de}}</ref>

With only one paragraph added to it before 1918, the ordinance remained fundamentally unchanged for the duration of its use. It was, however, partially invalidated several times or replaced by new regulations. In 1860 the electoral districts and polling places were set by law. In 1891 and 1893 the formation of electoral classes was reformed, and in 1906 some minor changes were introduced to streamline the electoral process.