UK Parliamentary Archives

• Held At: Parliamentary Archives: GB-061
• Catalogue Reference: HL/PO/PU/1/1928/18and;19G5c12
• Former Archival Reference: Display Document E.122
• Ref No: HL/PO/PU/1/1928/18and;19G5c12
• Date: 1928
• Level: File
• Extent: 1 Act of Parliament
• Creator Name: House of Lords; Public Bill Office; 1849-
• Category: Acts of Parliament/Laws/Legislation
• Description: Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act, c. 12. ['Fifth Reform Act'].
  
  The Act was passed 'for the purpose of providing that the parliamentary franchise shall be the same for men and women.' It lowered the voting age for women from 30 (the age limit set in 1918) to 21, thus giving them the same voting rights as men. This gave the vote to 5 million women. Men and women now had the same qualifications, based on residence, business premises, or being the husband or wife of a person with a business premise qualification. Women were also entitled to the university franchise, so long as they had passed the examinations required, even if the university did not at the time admit women to degrees. The Act also covered other consequential issues including the equalising the local government franchise, reducing the maximum scale of election expenses from seven pence to sixpence per voter, and making special provisions for the electoral register in 1929.
• Terms:
  • Democracy,
  • Womens suffrage,
  • Electoral systems,
• 
  View digital reproduction of: Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act, c. 12

  A

• Access Status: Open
• Access Conditions: This record contains information of outstanding constitutional or historical importance and access to the original document is restricted. Requests to view will be dealt with by providing access to a copy.
• Reproduction Conditions: Copies should be made from the digital surrogate of this record.
• Copies Exist: A digital copy of this record is available. For information about how to view it, which may include online access, please follow the link below.
• URL:http://digitalarchive.parliament.uk/HL/PO/PU/1/1928/18and;19G5c12

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