History of suffrage

Franchise / Suffrage

• Right to vote in elections

1832 - milestone in widening suffrage in the UK

Great Reform Act

Great Reform Act 1832 - 3 actions

1. Abolished rotten boroughs

• Had no/few electors

• Controlled by single patron (v. powerful)

2. Enfranchised most middle-class male property owners

3. Increased electorate by about two-thirds

1832 - % of UK population enfranchised

6%

1867 - milestone in widening suffrage in the UK

2nd Reform Act

Second Reform Act 1867 - 2 actions

1. Extended vote to all settled male tenants in boroughs

2. Created substantial W/C franchise

1872 - milestone in widening suffrage in the UK

Ballot Act

Ballot Act 1872 - 1 action

1. Secret ballot introduced

• Votes no longer able to be bought by corrupt candidates

1884 - milestone in widening suffrage in the UK

3rd Reform Act

Third Reform Act 1884 - 2 actions

1. Extended franchise to rural and mining areas

2. Enfranchised virtually all male householders and tenants.

1918 - milestone in widening suffrage in the UK

Representation of the People Act

Representation of the People Act 1918 - 3 actions

1. Gave most adult men the vote by abolishing property qualifications

2. Enfranchised women over 30 who met a property qualification

3. Tripled electorate

1918 - number of enfranchised people in the UK, % that were women

• 21m+

• 43% women (inflated due to loss of men in WW1)

1928 - milestone in widening suffrage in the UK

Equal Franchise Act

Equal Franchise Act 1928 - 3 actions

1. Unisex universal adult suffrage 21+

2. Lowered the voting age for women to 21

3. Removed property qualifications

1948 - milestone in widening suffrage in the UK

Representation of the People Act

Representation of the People Act 1948 - 1 action

1. Established 'one person, one vote' in general elections

• Ended university (one vote for uni member and one for their constituency MP) and other forms of plural voting

1969 - milestone in widening suffrage in the UK

Representation of the People Act

Representation of the People Act 1969 - 1 action

• Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

2016 - milestone in widening suffrage in the UK

Scottish Elections Act

Scottish Elections Act 2016 - 2 actions

1. 2016 - lowered voting age to 16 for Scottish Plmt elections

2. 2017 - lowered voting age to 16 for Scottish local elections

2020 - milestone in widening suffrage in the UK

Wales

Wales 2020 - 1 action

1. Lowered voting age to 16 for Welsh Senedd elections

1866 - event

• First petition to give women the right to vote presented to Plmt

• Largely ignored

Suffragists vs suffragettes

• Suffragists (NUWSS) pursued reform via peaceful, constitutional means

• Suffragettes (WSPU) used militant tactics

NUWSS (National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies) - leader

Millicent Fawcett

NUWSS - suffragette or suffragist

Suffragist

NUWSS action in 1867

• United local societies for women’s suffrage

Structure of the NUWSS - democracy and membership

• Open to all

• Internally democratic

NUWSS - peace or violence

• Advocated peaceful, lawful campaigning for women’s voting rights

NUWSS membership in 1914

• 100,000 members

• 400 branches

1918 - NUWSS change

• Renamed Fawcett society

• Continued to campaign for equality of voting rights until achieved in 1928

WSPU (Women’s Social and Political Union) - leader

• Pankhursts

WSPU - suffragette or suffragists

Suffragette

1903 - WSPU event

• Founded

1906 - WSPU event

• Moved from Manchester to London

1918 - WSPU event

• Disbanded post-women getting the vote

Colours

• Green

• White

• Purple

Structure of WUSPU - democracy and membership

• Only open to women

• Not internally democratic

WUSPU - peace or violence

• Known for militant, sometimes violent methods to push for women’s suffrage

  • ‘Deeds not words’

  • Gained attention but not support (other than sympathy when govt reponded to supress them) as they alienated moderate supporters

6 current disenfranchised groups in the UK

1. Those under 16 (as of 2025)

2. Prisoners (differs in Scotland)

3. Those sectioned under the MHA

4. Peers sitting in the HoL

5. Those lacking a permanent address

6. Members of the royal family do not, but could