Franchising Through Time

Franchising Through Time- Pre 1832

Pre 1832

Two types of Consitituency:

Counties- 40 Shilling home ownership
Boroughs- Local rules and traditions appliedWealthy people were able to bribe citizens in exchange for voting for their favourite MP, this meant their positon would be comfortable.Plural voting also applied for weathly men, the number of votes was decided by the amount of land owned.Women were excluded from voting due to their lack of property (though occational circomstances went agaainst this).

The electorate totalled to approximately 400,00 men by the early 19th century.

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1832 Great Reform Act

Major change was enforced as:

Seats for urban aresa were created, abolishing separate repersentaion of underpopluated 'rotten boroughs' (a consituency with a very small electorate, that could be patroled by influentuals in order to gain control and create corruption).
New categories of people could vote, including tenant farmers and smaller property holders.
Created a standard qualification for the vote in boroughs, applying to all male householders paying a yearly rental of £10 (allowing middle classes to gain importance)

The electorate increased to an estimated 5% of the adult population.

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Franchising from 1867-1969

1867- Borough householders (e.g. tradesmen, shopkeepers) enfranchised. Electrolate being 13% of adult population.

1884- Rural householders (e.g. farm workers, miners) put on same footing as borough ones. Electrolate being 25% of adult population.

1918 - All men over 21 and women over 30 enfranchised. 75% of adult population can vote.

1928 - Both sexs can vote at 21.

1948 - End of plural voting.

1969 - Voting age reduced to 18.

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Now

All over 18 males and females can vote, however people falling into the following categories cannot:

The 2017 General Election saw the highest turn out of 68.7% (32 million out of 48 million)

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