Universal suffrage

Universal suffrage or universal franchise means that everyone who is an adult in a country has the right to vote. The idea is often described with the phrase "one man, one vote."

Usually, this right does not include young people or people who are not citizens of that country. Some people believe that to make suffrage truly universal, more groups should be included. Supporters of this idea want the law to protect everyone's right to vote unless the government can show a very good reason why someone should not be allowed to vote. Full universal suffrage means not only the right to vote but also the right to be chosen for a job or position in the government.

History

In early democracies, only a small group of wealthy men could vote. Over time, more people gained the right to vote. The 1800s saw many efforts to let all men vote, especially in Europe and North America. Women’s right to vote became important later. New Zealand was the first country where women could vote in 1893. South Australia followed in 1894, allowing women to both vote and run for office.

In the United States, the idea that “every person should have one vote” became important in the 1960s. Laws were passed to protect everyone’s right to vote, especially for African Americans. The United States also worked to make sure women could vote, which happened in 1920.

Other countries also made changes. France was one of the first to let all adult men vote, though this didn’t always work right away. Many places around the world slowly added more people to the voting rolls, removing rules that kept some groups from voting.

Women's suffrage

Main article: Women's suffrage

In Sweden, women were allowed to vote during a special time from 1718 to 1772. In Corsica, women could vote from 1755 to 1769. In New Jersey, women were given the right to vote in 1776, but this changed in 1807.

The first major country to allow all women to vote was New Zealand in 1893. Later, South Australia let women vote and run for parliament in 1894. In 1906, the Grand Duchy of Finland became the first place to give women the right to vote and run for office. The first women were elected to parliament there in 1907.

The UK allowed women to vote at the same age as men in 1928. In Switzerland, women could vote nationally starting in 1971, but some areas allowed it earlier, with the last area changing its rules in 1990.

Youth suffrage

Main article: Youth suffrage

Some people believe that young people should also have the right to vote, which is part of the idea of universal suffrage. The youth rights movement has played a big role in pushing for a lower voting age. Groups like the National Youth Rights Association in the United States work to support this cause, along with other important issues for young people. Another movement, suffrage for Americans with disabilities, has also helped shape these efforts to make voting rights more fair for everyone, including children and youth.

Non-resident citizen voting

Main article: Non-resident citizen voting

Some places let people vote even if they are not currently living in their home country. This means citizens can participate in elections while they are away.

Multiple citizenship and non-citizen suffrage

Main articles: Multiple citizenship and Non-citizen suffrage

Some people can vote in more than one country. This can happen if they are citizens of more than one country or if a country allows people who live there but are not citizens to vote.

Dates by country

Countries have changed who can vote over time. This chart shows when different groups, like all adults or just men or women, were allowed to vote without any special rules based on things like wealth or religion.

The chart does not show times when voting did not really matter because one group had all the power.