"Extending the franchise" in the U.S. meant giving more people the right to vote.

Extending is a verb; if you can do it, it's a verb. A different tense of extending is extended.

Extending.

Extending the Cut - 2012 Extending the Cut was released on:

USA: 5 March 2013

Extending the right to vote to more citizens has made the United States more democratic. More people are now allowed to voice their opinions in elections, meaning the election results are more representative of the United States' population.