Universal Suffrage
Universal suffrage is the principle that voting rights should extend broadly to adult citizens without exclusion based on characteristics such as race, sex, wealth, or social status. In practice, eligibility rules and restrictions vary by jurisdiction, and the history of suffrage expansion has involved constitutional amendments and legislation.
Universal suffrage is the principle that voting rights should extend broadly to adult citizens without exclusion based on characteristics such as race, sex, wealth, or social status. In practice, eligibility rules and restrictions vary by jurisdiction, and the history of suffrage expansion has involved constitutional amendments and legislation.
Example: The Nineteenth Amendment prohibited denying the vote on the basis of sex, while the Fifteenth Amendment prohibited racial discrimination in voting.
Common misconception: Universal suffrage means every person can vote in every election without eligibility rules. Age, citizenship, residency, registration, and other lawful requirements may still apply, subject to constitutional protections.
Sources: https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/amendment-15/; https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/amendment-19/; https://www.justice.gov/crt/about-section-2-voting-rights-act