 At 27 words, it is the shortest UK statute.The Representation of the People Act 1918, passed on 6 February 1918, extended the franchise in parliamentary elections, also known as the right to vote, to women aged 30 and over who resided in the constituency or occupied land or premises with a rateable value above £5, or whose husbands did.In March 1918 Swire Smith, the Liberal MP for Keighley died, causing a by-election on 26 April.