On This Day, 22 April 1918

Evening Despatch

Monday 22 April 1918

HOW WOMEN CAN CLAIM THE VOTE

Women who are entitled, or who think themselves entitled to the vote, will do well to note the following explanation of the pink Form A (Householder or Occupier) issued under the Representation of the People Act 1918.

2 (a) is to be filled in by every women over 30 who with regard to her dwelling-house, (1) owns or herself pays the rent of a house however small the value; (2) is a lodger in unfurnished lodgings; (3) shares a house with one other person who is jointly responsible for the rent; (4) lives rent free in a house or rooms where her rent is counted as part wages, and her employer does not live on the same premises.

With regard to business premises, (5) owns or rents any land, house, shop or building of whatever kind for which she pays not less than £3 a year; (6) owns or rents any land, house, shop or building of whatever kind in trade partnership with one or any number of other persons provided that each pays at least £5 a year.

2 (b) is to be filled by every woman over 30 who is the wife of a man who can claim to be registered in any of the way just mentioned.

Every woman who has filled in 2 (a) must fill in 4 (a) to claim the Local Government vote, but here it does not matter how small the value may be of her land or business premises. She can claim a Local Government vote if she owns or rents any land, house, shop or building of any value at all. Except for this one point, a woman’s Local Government qualifications are exactly the same as those for the Parliamentary Vote. In the same way  every woman who has filled 2 (b) must fill in 2 (b) provided that she is “living with her husband at the premises.” She is considered doing if she would have been doing so in peace time.