1.2- Franchise + Suffrage debates

Who can vote in UK parliamentary elections?

  • Over 18s

  • Not in prison

  • British, Irish or Qualifying Commonwealth citizen

  • Registered to vote

 

Is this representative?

  • No- homeless people don't have registered addresses

  • No- under 18s can't vote

  • Permanent residents that aren't the 'right' place's citizen can't vote

 

How has this changed?

  • Used to be over 21s

  • Used to only be men who owned vast areas of land

 

  • 1832: Great Reform Act

    • Reflect changing class structure following industrialisation

  • 1867: Second Reform Act

    • Franchise doubled- no women, people without property or tenants of cheap property

  • 1872: Ballot Act

    • Secret ballot

  • 1884: Third Reform Act

    • Franchise to most working men aged 21 and over

  • 1918: Representation of the People Act

    • most men, women over 30 that are married/own property/graduate can vote

  • 1928: Equal Franchise Act

    • All adults 21 or over

  • 1969: RPA

    • Voting age to 18

Modern suffrage campaigns:

  • for those under 18 (16/17 year olds can vote in local Scottish and Welsh elections, UK wide franchise)

  • prisoners (Scotland allows some to vote in Scottish elections)

  • those sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 cannot vote

How accurate is it to say the UK is a country with universal suffrage?

Intro:

  • Universal suffrage is the right to vote for all adults.

  • The UK largely has a system close to universal suffrage, including ---

  • However, there are notable exceptions, with felons and homeless people unable to vote.

 

  1. Body One: Gender equality

  • Historical expansion- both sexes have the vote- through protests + reforms

  • 1918 Representation of the People Act: enfranchised almost all men and some women

  • 1928 Equal Franchise Act gave women equal voting rights- all adults 21 or over.

 

But:

  • Still, not everyone has the vote: felons, the homeless and long term UK residents without Commonwealth/UK citizenship- excluding them from partaking in the democratic process, despite living under the laws made

 

Conclude:

  • Both sexes + majority of the country but exclusions prevent universality

 

  1. Body Two: Equality of other factors

  • No longer barred by class, race etc.

  • Every adult is allowed one vote each, so each voter's voice carries equal weight in the electoral process.

 

But:

  • Practical barriers undermine accessibility:

    • Homeless people don't have a registered address so can't vote

    • 2022 Elections Act introduced photo IDs: risk of young people, minorities and lower income groups being disenfranchised

 

Conclude:

  • Despite being equal at face value, UK suffrage faces barriers that limits genuine universality.

 

  1. Body Three: Age

  • Voting age is 18 for UK general elections and has been since the 1969 Representation of the People Act- in line with most global democratic nations

 

But:

  • Scottish and Welsh 16/17 year olds can vote in their countries but not in Westminster elections as of 2025- despite being able to work, pay taxes and serve in armed forces.

 

Conclude:

  • The exclusion of 16/17 year olds undermines the claim of universal UK suffrage but it is in line with other countries.

 

Conclusion:

  • UK has near universal suffrage, with all over-18 citizens able to vote regardless of class, gender or race

  • However, practical and legal barriers undermine the universality