112 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."
- "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."
- "The principle of one person, one vote must apply, and within the framework of each State's electoral system, the vote of one elector should be equal to the vote of another."
- "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."
- "Every voter is entitled to exercise his or her right equally with others and to have his or her vote accorded equivalent weight to that of others."
- "The electoral system should ensure that there is equal suffrage through the principle of ‘one person, one vote’. This principle means that every voter has the same number of votes in an election, and that each vote is equal in weight."
- "Equal suffrage requires that the weight of each person's vote be essentially the same. This has particular significance when developing the legal framework for delimiting election districts."
- "Electoral units must be drawn in a manner that preserves equality among voters, a cornerstone of democratic elections. However, this does not preclude considering convenience and accessibility for voters, including through utilizing pre-existing administrative boundaries."
- "Elections conducted on the basis of equal suffrage require equality of voting power. In principle, no vote should carry proportionally more weight than another, so that there is an approximately equal number of voters per elected representative in each district."
- "When voting is conducted on the basis of electoral districts, the said districts shall be established on an equitable basis such as would make the result most accurately and completely reflect the will of all the voters."
- "The process of identification of electoral districts and boundaries should respect the international norm of equal suffrage. Such delimitation should not be designed to dilute or discount the votes of any particular groups or areas."
- "...[T]he number of representatives for each district should be proportional to the size of the electorate."
- "Deviation from uniform populations in electoral units should be kept to a minimum;"
- "The delimitation process should: be conducted on the basis of clearly identified criteria such as population distribution, community of interest, convenience, geographical features and other natural or administrative boundaries."
- "The drawing of boundaries…may include the use of criteria such as population size and geographical or administrative boundaries."
- "Voter lists should be current, accurate, complete, easily accessible for inspection by qualified voters and – subject to the protection of personal information – possibly by others (such as election contestants and scientific researchers) with a legitimate reason to access them."
- "Safeguards should exist to avoid multiple registration, and there should be provisions for registration of absentee voters."
- "[E]very citizen has one vote or equal number of votes with other citizens, and they have the right to exercise on the equal basis with other citizens their voting right, and their vote(s) has (have) the same weight as votes of other voters, and the weight of vote (votes) of the voter should not be affected by the election system applied in the state."
- "The process should facilitate the registration of a qualified voter, while at the same time safeguarding against the registration of ineligible persons."
- "Safeguards should exist to avoid multiple registration."
- "Safeguards should exist to avoid multiple registration."
- "Persons responsible for the compilation of files or those responsible for keeping them have an obligation to conduct regular checks on the accuracy and relevance of the data recorded and to ensure that they are kept as complete as possible in order to avoid errors of omission and that they are kept up to date regularly or when the information contained in a file is used, as long as they are being processed."
- "In order to ensure credible elections, the election authorities must ensure a Voters' Register that is complete, accurate and current."
- "Registered voters may be provided with voter cards as proof of their registration. There may be legal provisions that allow non-registered eligible voters to be included on special supplementary voter lists on election day. In all cases, the procedures in place should ensure that all eligible electors are able to vote, only eligible electors are able to vote and that adequate measures are taken to prevent multiple registration that could lead to multiple voting (e.g., through changes in residence or name changes after marriage). Procedures should also be in place to ensure the removal of the names of deceased persons and the inclusion of newly eligible voters."
- "A voter register has to be regularly updated to remain accurate."
- "Accuracy is important, especially so in proportional representation systems that employ multi-member constituencies…"
- "The right to vote is also violated if the legal framework fails to ensure accuracy in voter registers or facilitates fraudulent voting. The international standard for voter registration is that the register must be comprehensive, inclusive, accurate and up to date, and the process must be fully transparent."
- "Irrespective of the method used to create a voters list for a particular election, the list must be complete, accurate and current in order to ensure that those eligible to vote are able to do so and those ineligible are barred from doing so."
- "...[C]ommon problems associated with voter registration: [include] inaccurate lists..."
- "Further, the right to vote is subverted if the election system fails to ensure the accuracy of voter lists and thereby either disenfranchises eligible voters or allows illegal voting. Thus, another major component of the election system is the proper conduct of voter registration and maintenance of voter lists. This also requires specifying the method of establishing voter eligibility."
- "Accurate voters lists can only be produced if election officials do their job properly, the population responds actively to the display of draft voters lists, and individuals are able to prove their identity and residence."
- "The legal framework should require that voter registers be maintained in a manner that is transparent, accurate, protects the right of citizens of legal age to register, and prevents the unlawful or fraudulent registration of persons."
- "...States should take the necessary policy and institutional steps to ensure the progressive achievement and consolidation of democratic goals, including through the establishment of a neutral, impartial or balanced mechanism for the management of elections. In so doing, they should, among other matters: ...Ensure the registration of voters, updating the electoral rolls and balloting procedures, with the assistance of national and international observers as appropriate."
- "The voter registration process is best assured by a permanent, well maintained and regularly updated national voter register."
- "The legal framework should also require that the voters list be systematically updated and corrected in a transparent manner, well in advance of elections, to allow electoral participants and voters the opportunity to review it for accuracy."
- "Fulfillment of the following criteria is essential if electoral registers are to be reliable: ii. there must be regular up-dates, at least once a year. Where voters are not registered automatically, registration must be possible over a relatively long period."
- "Polling procedures designed to dilute or discount the votes of particular individuals, groups or geographic areas are unacceptable in the light of the international norm of equality of suffrage."
- "Checking that no opportunity exists to manipulate the voting process in the polling station, for example by switching boxes, fraudulent ballot papers, voting more than once, impersonation of another elector."
- "In relation to any election or referendum, a voter shall be prevented from inserting more than one ballot into the electronic ballot box. A voter shall be authorized to vote only if it has been established that his/her ballot has not yet been inserted into the ballot box."
- "The e-voting system shall prevent any voter from casting a vote by more than one voting channel."
- "It is particularly important, where remote e-voting takes place while polling stations are open, that the system shall be so designed that it prevents any voter from voting more than once."
- "Ensuring that ballot papers, ballot boxes and all equipment used at the polling station are secure and that no possibility for fraud exists."
- "Appropriate methods should be put in place to prevent multiple voting."
- "Multiple voting – where a voter casts more ballots than permitted – should be prohibited by law. Safeguards to prevent a person from voting again in the same or another polling station should be put in place. Examples of such safeguards include: marking the voter register to indicate an elector has voted, requiring the voter to sign the register, and marking a voter’s finger with ink."
- "The legal framework must address a myriad of issues to ensure a genuine opportunity to exercise the right to vote on the basis of equal and universal suffrage. These issues concern conditions outside the polling sites, as well as inside it, before, during and after voting takes place. The provisions must ensure, among other things, that: ...Security protocols are provided that guarantee voting integrity, including preventing ballot box stuffing and irregularities and fraud in electronic voting."
- "In order to safeguard the ballot, each ballot should bear an official stamp specific to the polling station and/or the signature of an authorized person/s in the polling station."
- "There must be a process to clearly identify voters eligible to use alternative voting provisions and to prevent double voting."