In a democracy, all adult citizens must be eligible to participate in elections. This means that eligibility requirements must be broad enough so that all or virtually all adult residents having citizenship can register to vote. There should be no systematic exclusion of any group whether women, physically challenged persons, members of ethnic or linguistic minorities, poor or homeless people, or residents of remote areas.
Eligibility rules focus on age, citizenship and residence. The exact requirements may vary from one democracy to another.
For example, all representative democracies limit voting to the adult population. They differ in their definition of the age at which someone reaches adulthood but the range generally is quite small, from about age 18 to 21. In most democracies younger adults (aged 18 to 30) tend to participate less in electoral politics than do their elders. Many advanced industrial democracies have seen a sharp decline in the electoral involvement of young voters over the last two decades. They have responded with voter education and registration initiatives aimed at younger citizens.
The citizenship requirement historically has permitted voting only by adults who can demonstrate that they are citizens residing in the country where the election is being held. Some countries are becoming more flexible on this requirement, allowing foreign nationals to vote in local and national elections if they meet certain basic residence conditions. Certain countries restrict voting to people who have resided in an electoral district for a specified minimum time; others allow their nationals living abroad for a limited time to register and vote.
In post-conflict situations, it is increasingly common to extend the right to register and vote to nationals living abroad. This practice may necessitate the involvement of foreign election authorities: they may assist in registration and voting for such voters, or they may monitor the arrangements to ensure that they are fair and effective.
Voter eligibility rules are normally set by the legislation or a country’s constitution, not by electoral administrators. Instead, their task to apply the rules and policies that have been set.
