The citizens were provided, therefore, with tablets by means of which each man could vote without anyone knowing how he voted: new methods were also introduced for collecting the tablets, for counting voices, for comparing numbers, etc. ; but all these precautions did not prevent the good faith of the officers charged with these functions 37 from being often suspect. Finally, to prevent intrigues and trafficking in votes, edicts were issued; but their very number proves how useless they were.