The Reformation Acts 1832,1867,1884,1918 and 1928- Changes in Electoral system in England- Right to Vote

The Reformation Acts 1832,1867,1884,1918 and 1928- Changes in Electoral system in England- Right to Vote

The Reform Acts of 1832, 1867, 1884, 1918, and 1928 in England progressively expanded political representation and the right to vote. Each act marked distinct changes to the British electoral system, both in terms of who could vote and how parliamentary seats were distributed.​

Act	Year	Main Changes	Who Got the Vote	Other Impacts
1832	1832	Abolished rotten boroughs, more seats to cities	Middle-class males meeting property requirement​	First step towards reform​
1867	1867	Lowered property bar for towns	Urban working-class males​	Enlarged electorate​
1884	1884	Uniform franchise for boroughs/counties	Rural working-class males​	Doubled electorate​
1918	1918	Removed all male property bars, women (30+)	All men 21+, women 30+ (restricted)​	Huge electorate increase​
1928	1928	Equal voting age for men and women (21)	All adults 21+​	Universal adult suffrage​

 

Reform Act 1832 (Great Reform Act)

• Extended the vote to more middle-class males by standardizing property qualifications (e.g., householders renting property worth £10/year).​
• Abolished "rotten boroughs" and reallocated seats to growing industrial cities, making representation more equitable.​
• Still, most working-class men and all women remained excluded from voting.​

Reform Act 1867 (Second Reform Act)

• Extended voting rights to urban working-class men by lowering property requirements.​
• The electorate increased significantly, especially in towns, but rural working-class men were still largely excluded.​
• Further redistribution of seats to reflect population changes.

Reform Act 1884 (Third Reform Act)

• Created a uniform voting qualification in both boroughs (towns) and counties (rural areas), enfranchising many rural working-class men.​
• Overall electorate doubled, and representation became more democratic.​
• Franchise became based on home ownership, bringing rural and urban qualifications in line.​

Reform Act 1918 (Fourth Reform Act/Representation of the People Act)

• Abolished property qualifications for men—granted the vote to all men over 21.​
• Enabled limited suffrage for women over 30 who met property requirements.​
• Enormously increased the number of voters and began to include women for the first time.​

Reform Act 1928 (Fifth Reform Act)

• Gave women electoral equality with men, lowering the voting age for women to 21 (same as men).​
• Marked the arrival of universal suffrage for adults over 21.​

Conclusion

The Reform Acts from 1832 to 1928 gradually expanded democracy in Britain, moving from limited, property-based voting toward universal adult suffrage. Each act extended the vote to new groups and made Parliament more representative, culminating in equal voting rights for both men and women by 1928.