The election laws of most nations establish a criteria that limits the right to vote for people with psychiatric disorders. This criterion varies widely among nations. In some, those determined by court order to be insane cannot vote. In others, the right to vote is lost when a court appoints a legal guardian. In other nations still, the franchise is lost when someone is institutionalized, or even when someone is "known to be insane." No standards govern these laws, which seem subject to stereotypical and outdated views of mental disability.
In consultation with global experts in the fields of disability, election law and practice, and international human rights standards, IFES and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) have developed a "bill of electoral rights for people with disabilities," which argues that election law cannot discriminate against individuals with intellectual or psychiatric disabilities. Further, this "bill of electoral rights" has determined that a test of competency cannot be used to deprive any single individual or group of individuals of the right to vote, unless that same test of competency is applied to each and every citizens.
For additional information on this important topic, see: http://www.electionaccess.org/en/resources/publications/458/
