1357 Results
Quotes
Quotes based on international documents, law, and treaties- "Residency requirements, if applied, must be imposed to as not to exclude the homeless from the right to vote."
- "State reports should indicate whether any groups, such as permanent residents, enjoy [the right to register] on a limited basis, for example, by having the right to vote in local elections or to hold office."
- "In practice…there is a growing tendency to broaden the franchise, for example, by including overseas residents."
- "A residency requirement has been upheld by the European Commission on Human Rights, for a number of reasons: the assumption that a non-resident citizen is less directly involved or knowledgeable; the impracticability for candidates to present electoral issues to citizens abroad; the need to prevent electoral fraud, the risk of which is increased by postal voting; and finally, the link between representation and the obligation to pay taxes."
- "Residency requirements may discriminate against national minorities. Residence may operate in a discriminatory way against refugees or internally displaced persons. Internally displaced persons should be able to exercise their right to vote; where possible, refugees should enjoy some facility to vote."
- "Reasonable restrictions may include factors such as residence, citizenship, current incarceration or having been convicted of a crime"
- "The UN Human Rights Committee found a “seven-year residency requirement deemed to be excessive."
- "[T]he following measure prescribed by law or regulations would not be considered discriminatory: measures establishing a reasonable period which must elapse before naturalized persons may exercise their political rights, provided that they are combined with a liberal naturalization policy."
- "A nationality requirement may apply; ii. however, it would be advisable for foreigners to be allowed to vote in local elections after a certain period of residence."
- "Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity, without any of the distinctions mentioned in article 2 and without unreasonable restrictions: (b) To vote and to 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 electors."
- "Distinctions between those who are entitled to citizenship by birth and those who acquire it by naturalization may raise questions of compatibility with article 25."
- "In regards to citizenship and the principle of universality, those people who have lived in the country as de facto citizens for a reasonable number of years should be given a fair chance to register to vote."
- "The right to participate in public affairs is the only human right which applies to citizens of a state only as opposed to being universal and applicable to any person subject to the authority of a state in which they happen to be…. It is, however, required that citizenship be defined in law respecting the right to non-discrimination….Within the legitimate limitation of citizenship, the principle of inclusiveness or ‘universality’ should be a primary objective."
- "Reasonable requirements are usually limited to minimum age, nationality..."
- "The UN Human Rights Committee has noted as impermissible 'excessive limitations on the voting rights of convicted criminals.'"
- "Undergoing long-term imprisonment following conviction in an ordinary court of law or…with a stated period, convicted of election malpractice."
- "Voting rights should be based on considerations that include: citizenship; legal age of majority (this may differ from country to country); residency requirements; any other additional grounds for disqualification (eg, prisoners in detention, persons with a criminal record... and so on)."
- "Invariably voters are required to prove their identity by showing a passport or ID or some form of identification."
- "Some countries...disqualify military personnel from voting, a practice particularly common in Latin America. Such limitations, provided they have a rational basis, remain proportional and are not used as a device to disenfranchise significant sections of the population, arguably fall within the margin of appreciation left to States. Discriminatory disenfranchisement, however, would violate general principles of international law."
- "It is common and acceptable for the electoral framework to provide for members of the military and the police to be able to exercise the right to vote while on active duty. Although protecting the right of a member of the military or the police is appropriate, the provisions must be written carefully to avoid abuse."
- "If conviction for an offence is a basis for suspending the right to vote, the period of such suspension should be proportionate to the offence and the sentence. Persons who are deprived of liberty but who have not been convicted should not be excluded from exercising the right to vote."
- "While limitations are allowed for persons convicted of electoral offences, such restrictions must be limited in time."
- "In a number of countries, convicts are disqualified from voting, but detained individuals who have not been convicted retain the right to vote."
- "Women shall be eligible for election to all publicly elected bodies, established by national law, on equal terms with men, without any discrimination."
- "States Parties shall take specific positive action to promote participative governance and the equal participation of women in the political life of their countries through affirmative action, enabling national legislation and other measures to ensure that: b) women are represented equally at all levels with men in all electoral processes."
- "Every citizen shall enjoy the following rights and opportunities: (a) to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives."
- "Every citizen has the right: 3. To stand for election... 4. To the opportunity to gain access, on an equal footing with others, to public office in his country in accordance with the principle of equality of opportunity."
- "Every citizen should have equal legal possibilities to propose him/herself as a candidate in elections."
- "Article 25 of the Covenant recognizes and protects the rights of every citizen to take part in the conduct of public affairs…. Whatever form of constitution or government is in force, the Covenant requires States to adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to ensure that citizens have an effective opportunity to enjoy the rights it protects."
- "To ensure that the will of the people serves as the basis of the authority of government, the participating states will: (7.5) respect the right of citizens to seek political or public office, individually or as representatives of political parties or organizations, without discrimination."
- "The right to be elected does not mean that all citizens would have a subjective right to become a member of an elected body. Rather it means that all citizens that qualify under the provisions of the law should have not only the right but also the opportunity to stand as a candidate."
- "Everyone has the right to take part in the government of their country and shall have an equal opportunity to become a candidate for election. The criteria for participation in government shall be determined in accordance with national constitutions and laws and shall not be inconsistent with the State's international obligations."
- "International human rights law explicitly proclaims the right of citizens to equal access to public office."
- "All candidates who wish to run should be able to do so."
- "The nomination process has been a vulnerable stage in election preparation. Prospective candidates have been prevented from submitting their nomination papers due to violence, procedural deficiencies and inadequate role of the courts...it is therefore recommended that technical requirements/rules should be kept to the absolute minimum."
- "The right to vote and to be voted for should be accepted as a birth right in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women."
- "SADC Member States shall adhere to the following principles in the conduct of democratic elections: Equal opportunity to exercise the right to vote and be voted for."
- "The participating States consider that the presence of observers, both foreign and domestic, can enhance the electoral process for States in which elections are taking place."
- "The participating States will recognize as NGOs those which declare themselves as such, according to existing national procedures, and will facilitate the ability of such organizations to conduct their national activities freely on their territories."
- "Only transparency, impartiality and independence from political motivated manipulation will ensure proper administration of the election process, from the pre-election period to the end of the processing of results."
- "The legal framework should clearly set forth all details on this issue for a particular election. This includes the dates for commencement and closure of registration, during what time period and how signatures are to be collected where registration is to be established by signatures, and the process of verification of registration. Where the legal framework provides for the collection of signatures, it should provide for a reasonable amount of time for collection of the signatures. The legal framework should provide for uniformity in the registration process so that the same process applies to all candidates at all levels."
- "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."
- "Persons who are otherwise eligible to stand election should not be excluded by unreasonable or discriminatory requirements such as education, residence, or descent, or by reason of political affiliation."
- "Any conditions which apply to the exercise of the rights protected by article 25 should be based on objective and reasonable criteria."
- "Any restrictions on the right to stand for election, such as minimum age, must be justifiable on objective and reasonable criteria."
- "No unreasonable limitations [should be] placed on a citizen's ability to participate in the political process, including the right to a secret vote and the right to be elected."
- "Article 25 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, for example, provides that every citizen has the right, without discrimination, to take party in the conduct of public affairs, to be elected, and to have equal access to public service in his or her country. Those rights are not absolute; however, and may be subject to a variety of reasonable limitations."
- "All such restrictions on the right to be elected must be reasonable, non-discriminatory, and must be defined clearly in law or in the constitution."
- "it is therefore recommended that technical requirements/rules should be kept to the absolute minimum."
- "The rationale for certain conditions such as age or residence is obvious: a sufficient level of maturity and connection to the community."