The Second Reform Act was only one of several major
changes in the electoral system that were introduced in
the latter half of the nineteenth century.
In 1872, a secret ballot was introduced for parliamentary
elections for the first time, overcoming the age-old
argument that open voting was more 'manly'. In 1883, the
Corrupt and Secret Practices Act imposed restrictions on
election expenses, among other measures designed to make
elections fairer. In 1884, the Third Reform Act extended the franchise
to miners and agricultural workers - who had been excluded from the 1863 Act. And in 1885 the Redistribution of Seats Act finally solved the problem of over and under representation, by introducing mostly single-member constituencies.
