182 Results
Quotes
Quotes based on international documents, law, and treaties- "To vote and be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the voter."
- "Everyone shall have the right and opportunity and in the state of which he is a citizen (b) to vote and to be elected at elections held on the basis of universal and equal suffrage by secret ballot, that guarantees the free expression of the will of the voters."
- "The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures."
- "Every citizen shall enjoy the following rights: b. to vote and to be elected in genuine periodic elections, which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and by secret ballot that guarantees the free expression of the will of the voters."
- "Essential elements of representative democracy include, inter alia, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, access to and the exercise of power in accordance with the rule of law, the holding of periodic, free, and fair elections based on secret balloting and universal suffrage as an expression of the sovereignty of the people, the pluralistic system of political parties and organizations, and the separation of powers and independence of the branches of government."
- "In compliance with the fundamental obligations laid down in article 2 of this Convention, States Parties undertake to prohibit and to eliminate racial discrimination in all its forms and to guarantee the right of everyone, without distinction as to race, color, or national or ethnic origin, to equality before the law, notably in the enjoyment of the following rights: (c) Political rights, in particular the right to participate in elections-to vote and to stand for election-on the basis of universal and equal suffrage, to take part in the Government as well as in the conduct of public affairs at any level and to have equal access to public service."
- "To ensure that the will of the people serves as the basis of the authority of government, the participating States will: (7.3) guarantee universal and equal suffrage to adult citizens."
- "The station and the polling board (and staff, if applicable) should be of sufficient size to handle the expected number of voters."
- "State Parties shall recognize popular participation through universal suffrage as the inalienable right of the people."
- "People must know their rights to use them; hence sufficient civic and voter education is a prerequisite for the facts of universality and equality."
- "The rule of law requires that the classes of those disqualified from voting, if any, be known in advance, and that challenge be available in appropriate cases."
- "Universal suffrage means in principle that all human beings have the right to vote and to stand for election. This right may, however, and indeed should, be subject to certain conditions."
- "In practice…there is a growing tendency to broaden the franchise, for example, by including overseas residents."
- "It is unreasonable to restrict the right to vote on the ground of physical disability or to impose literacy, educational or property requirements. Party membership should not be a condition of eligibility to vote, nor a ground of disqualification."
- "Ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, directly or through freely chosen representatives, including the right and opportunity for persons with disabilities to vote and be elected, inter alia, by: i. Ensuring that voting procedures, facilities and materials are appropriate, accessible and easy to understand and use; ii. Protecting the right of persons with disabilities to vote by secret ballot in elections and public referendums without intimidation, and to stand for elections, to effectively hold office and perform all public functions at all levels of government, facilitating the use of assistive and new technologies where appropriate."
- "An effort should be made to design election materials that are accessible to disadvantaged voters such as the blind and the deaf. In the absence of these materials, assistance should be provided to enable such voters to vote."
- "Polling stations should be situated in venues that are accessible to all voters, especially the elderly and the people with disabilities."
- "There should be clear procedures for the provision of necessary assistance to disabled, illiterate and elderly voters that protect, as far as possible, their right to vote secretly."
- "Election laws may contain special provisions to facilitate voting by persons who are physically disabled, those in hospital or in prisons, those who are out of the country or who cannot come to the polling station for other valid reasons."
- "Handicapped or severely ill people must also have a chance to vote."
- "Voters with special needs, including the disabled, the elderly, students, conscripts, workers (including migrant workers out of the country), foreign service personnel and prisoners who have retained voting rights, should be accommodated."
- "The universal right "to take part in" government is directly affected by the eligibility/voter registration process."
- "Except in elections in which no voters' list is compiled (and voting allowed on the base of an I.D. or other documents), Voter registration is crucial for the factors of universality and equality."
- "The election system must provide a mechanism for registering voters. The right to vote cannot be secured if it is not possible to determine efficiently who is eligible and therefore allowed to vote in an election."
- "Where registration of voters is required, it should be facilitated and obstacles to such registration should not be imposed."
- "The registration system should be designed to enable every eligible voter to cast a ballot."
- "Every elector has the opportunity to record his or her vote freely and without fear; ensuring that there are no abnormal limitations upon the franchise or obstacles to registration or to voting."
- "The voter registration process should promote broad participation and should not inhibit the participation of eligible voters… Cost effective voter identification protocols should be established to enable the maximum possible inclusion of eligible voters, while minimizing multiple or illegal voter registration."
- "The right to vote is violated if the legal framework makes it difficult for a person to register to vote, as normally a person who is not registered cannot legally vote."
- "All citizens of the country should have the right to…be registered as voters on equal terms."
- "Universal suffrage requires that the broadest reasonable pool of voters is guaranteed participatory rights."
- "Procedures should accommodate broad participation and should not crate unnecessary technical barriers to participation by otherwise qualified persons. For instance, advance registration should be allowed for those who will reach the minimum voting age by election day, but after the close of registration."
- "States must take effective measures to ensure that all persons entitled to vote are able to exercise that right. Where registration of voters is required, it should be facilitated and obstacles to such registration should not be imposed. If residence requirements apply to registration, they must be reasonable, and should not be imposed in such a way as to exclude the homeless from the right to vote. Any abusive interference with registration or voting as well as intimidation or coercion of voters should be prohibited by penal laws and those laws should be strictly enforced."
- "...[C]ommon problems associated with voter registration: [include] procedures that cause unreasonable difficulty for certain sectors of the population to register or obtain the identification card necessary for voting, including: limiting hours or days for registration; placing registration sites at inconvenient locations; levying fees; conducting literacy exams; or subjecting registrants to unfairly burdensome procedures such as presenting multiple identification cards or photographs, making multiple visits to the registration site, etc."
- "The registration offices should be located and open for registration at places and times that do not make it difficult or costly for a person to register."
- "[A]dvance registration should be allowed for those who will reach minimum voting age by election day, but after the close of registration"
- "Eligible voters should be provided with a continuous and accessible voter registration facility."
- "Registration procedures and facilities should be readily accessible to the electorate, and the registration procedures clearly stated."
- "Registration facilities must be available in all parts of a country and allow all people who are entitled to register to do so."
- "The convenience of access to voter-registration centres can also be relevant during any public scrutiny period provided for voters to check the voter lists to ensure they are included."
- "There should be provisions and practical arrangements for continuous voter registration and an updated voters’ register must be made available to all stakeholders in the elections."
- "Registration of voters should therefore be a continuous exercise..."
- "There should be sufficient time for eligible voters to register, for public inspection of the voters' roll, for objections and for the adjudication of appeals."
- "Safeguards should exist to avoid multiple registration, and there should be provisions for registration of absentee voters."
- "There should be no fee for citizens to be registered as voters."
- "In addition to the subjects mentioned above, voter information programmes should include reference to the procedures for voters to protect their electoral rights, including with respect to their voter registration."
- "The legislative scheme should provide a clear framework for the treatment of [voter registration] issues"
- "At a practical level, the process of voter registration requires clear eligibility criteria and their consistent application by trained officials."
- "There should be legal provisions governing the method of registration…"
- "The legal framework should clearly specify the method of establishing voter eligibility, including what documentation is required, so that the process is fully transparent, not subject to arbitrary decision, and can be publicly monitored in an objective manner."