Elections can be considered in several ways: analysis of political speeches, study of electoral behaviour etc. The electoral behaviour approach was retained in the study of the 1867 elections because of its importance in understanding the views of Quebecers regarding a constitution which was drawn up without democratic consultation. But what was the true significance of such a consultation under the suffrage regime existing at the time? The behaviour of this electorate can best be understood by taking into consideration the socio-economic characteristics of the total population. Analysis by means of a Bertin's matrix revealed two incompatible countries. First, the "real" country (the majority) composed of the entire population; secondly, the "legal" country (the minority) composed exclusively of the voting population. The methodological implications of such a distinction constitute the substance of this article.