| Administrative History | The electoral registers begin in 1832, with the passing of the Great Reform Act. This enfranchised men over the age of 21 years, and who either owned property worth at least £10, or who occupied land worth between £2 and £5, or were tenants paying rent of £50 per annum. Up to 1 Dec 1868, Derbyshire was divided into Southern and Northern Divisions.
The Second Reform Act of 1867, enfranchised men over the age of 21 years, who owned property worth at least £5. The Third Reform Act of 1884 enfranchised freeholders of inherited land (or land acquired by marriage) worth £2; freeholders of any land worth £5; entitled to vote. This meant only 60% of male householders over the age of 21 had the vote.
Between 1885/6 and 1916, Derbyshire was divided into Southern, Northern and Eastern electoral constituencies. No registers were produced in 1916 or 1917 due to the First World War.
Following the 1918 Representation of the People Act, the franchise included practically all men, and some women, by abolishing practically all property qualifications for men, and enfranchising some women over 30. An enfranchised woman was either a member of, or married to a member of the Local Government Register, a property owner or; a University graduate. The size of the electorate tripled, from 7.7 million entitled in 1912 to 21.4 million by the end of 1918. Women now accounted for about 43% of the electorate.
Between 1918 and 1948, Derbyshire constituencies were: Southern, North East, Western, High Peak, Ilkeston, Belper, Clay Cross, Chesterfield, Derby Borough. Between 1919 and 1930, separate half year electoral registers produced for Spring and Autumn.
The 1928 Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act gave the vote to women over the age of 21 in the same was as men. No registers were produced between 1940 or 1944 inclusive, due to the Second World War. In 1971, the voting age for all reduced to 18 years, by the 1969 Registration of the People Act.
From 1983, the county was divided into the following constuencies:
South East/Southern, North East, Western, High Peak, Ilkeston, Belper, Bolsover, Amber Valley, Erewash, Chesterfield, Derby City |
| Custodial History | This is an artificial collection. All registers in it technically belong with the records of the various local authorities that deposited them; for practical purposes, the registers have been pooled together since at least the 1960s. |