Reform Act

Reform Act may refer to:

  • Reform Act 1832 (England and Wales), which gave representation to previously underrepresented urban areas and extended the qualifications for voting
  • Scottish Reform Act 1832, a similar reform applying to Scotland
  • Irish Reform Act 1832, a similar reform applying to Ireland
  • Reform Act 1867, which widened the franchise and adjusted representation to be more equitable
  • Ballot Act 1872 (sometimes called the "Reform Act of 1872"), which introduced the secret ballot
  • Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883 (sometimes called the "Reform Act of 1883"), which introduced campaign spending limits
  • Reform Act 1884, which allowed people in counties to vote on the same basis as those in towns. Home ownership was the only qualification
  • Reform Act 1885, which split most multi-member constituencies into multiple single-member ones
  • Reform Act 1918, which abolished property qualifications for men and introduced limited female suffrage
  • Reform Act 1928, which widened suffrage by giving women electoral equality with men

Famous quotes containing the words reform and/or act:

    “It is doubtless wise, when a reform is introduced, to try to persuade the British public that it is not a reform at all; but appearances must be kept up to some extent at least.”
    —George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)

    “The soul, which is the first principle of life, is not a body, but the act of a body; just as heat, which is the principle of calefaction, is not a body, but an act of a body.”
    —Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225–1274)