"Some of the robes and stuff could disappear."

Good heavens, what are you suggesting? Are the citizens to be confronted with lords and ladies in their undergarments?

An alternative method of selecting lords and ladies to serve might be:

Armed combat

Intelligent tests

Artistic talent

How long they can hold their breath

How long they can restrain their bladder

How much they can drink of fermented fluids before they become comatose

Whether they can spell

Whether they can balance a checkbook

The worst criteria would be their ability to maximize votes.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, from across the pond