Universal suffrage

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Universal suffrage

Universal suffrage (also universal adult suffrage, general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote

Suffrage

Suffrage is the civil right to vote, or the exercise of that right. In that context, it is also called political franchise or simply the franchise....
to adult

Adult

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Universal suffrage (also universal adult suffrage, general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote

Suffrage

Suffrage is the civil right to vote, or the exercise of that right. In that context, it is also called political franchise or simply the franchise....
to adult

Adult

The term adult has at least three distinct meanings. It can indicate a biologically grown or mature person. It may also mean a plant, animal, or person who has reached full growth or alternatively is capable of reproduction, or a person who has attained the legally fixed age of majority; as opposed to a minor....
citizens (or subjects) as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and noncitizens. Although suffrage has two necessary components, the right to vote and opportunities to vote, the term universal suffrage is associated only with the right to vote and ignores the other aspect, the frequency that an incumbent government consults the electorate. Historically, universal suffrage often in fact refers to universal male suffrage.

The concept of universal suffrage originally referred to all male citizens having the right to vote, regardless of property requirements or other measures of wealth. The first system to explicitly claim to use universal suffrage was France

France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
which is generally recognized as the first national system to abolish all property requirements for voting. In theory France first used universal (male) suffrage in 1792 during the revolutionary period, although the turmoil of the period made this ineffective. France has used universal male suffrage continuously since 1848 (for resident citizens), longer than any other country.

In most countries, full universal suffrage including women followed universal male suffrage by about ten to twenty years. A notable exception is France, where women could not vote until 1944.

In the first modern democracies, the vote was restricted to those having adequate property and wealth, which almost always meant a minority of the male population. In some jurisdictions, other restrictions existed, such as restrictions on voters of a given religion. In all modern democracies the number of people who could vote increased gradually with time. The 19th century featured movements advocating "universal suffrage" (i.e. male) The democratic movement of the late 19th century, unifying liberals

Classical liberalism

Classical liberalism is a doctrine stressing individual freedom, free markets, and limited government. This includes the importance of human rationality, individual property rights, natural rights, the protection of civil liberties, individual freedom from restraint, equality under the law, constitutional limitation of government, free marke...
and social democrats

Social democracy

Social democracy is a political philosophy of the left-wing politics or centre-left that emerged in the late 19th century from the socialism movement and continues to exert influence worldwide....
, particularly in northern Europe

Northern Europe

Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as including the following countries and dependent regions:...
, used the slogan Equal and Common Suffrage.

The concept of universal suffrage does not imply any impropriety in placing restrictions on the voting of convicted criminals or mentally ill persons. Such restrictions exist in many countries with universal suffrage. Equally some universal suffrage systems apply only to resident citizens.

Expanding suffrage

The first movements toward universal suffrage (or manhood suffrage) occurred in the early 19th century, and focused on removing property requirements for voting. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the focus of universal suffrage movement became the removal of restrictions against women having the right to vote

Women's suffrage

The term women's suffrage refers to the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending suffrage ? the right to vote ? to women. The movement's modern origins lie in France in the 18th century....
.

Several countries which had enacted universal suffrage had their normal legal process, or their existence, interrupted during the Second World War.

Many societies in the past have denied people the right to vote on the basis of race or ethnicity. For example, non-white people

White people

White people is a term which is usually used to refer to Human characterized, at least in part, by the light Human skin color. It often refers narrowly to people claiming ancestry exclusively from Europe....
could not vote in national elections during apartheid-era South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
, until the system came to an end with the first free multi-party elections in 1994. In the pre-Civil Rights Era American South

Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central United States....
, black people

African American

African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the Black people populations of Africa....
often technically had the right to vote, but various means prevented many of them from exercising that right. For example, the Ku Klux Klan

Ku Klux Klan

Ku Klux Klan is the name of several past and present secret domestic militant organizations in the United States, originating in the southern states and eventually having national scope, that are best known for advocating white supremacy and acting as terrorists while hidden behind conical hats, masks and white robes....
formed after the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
, mainly in order to intimidate black people and to prevent them from voting.

Disfranchisement

Many states within the USA used to disenfranchise paupers, persons who either paid no direct taxes or those receiving public assistance.

There are also differing degrees of legal recognition of non-resident citizens: non-resident Italians

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
have a representative at-large

At-Large

At-Large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership....
in the Italian parliament

Parliament of Italy

The Parliament of Italy is the national parliament of Italy. It is a bicameral legislature with 945 elected members . The Italian Chamber of Deputies, with 630 members is the lower house....
; U.S. citizens voting abroad vote as residents of the last state where they (or their parents) lived; Britons, however, cannot vote for their national parliament unless they have lived in the U.K. in the last five years. A few nations also restrict those who are involved in the military or police forces, as it is in the case of Kuwait

Politics of Kuwait

The government of Kuwait consists of a parliamentary system constitutional monarchy, whereby the List of emirs of Kuwait is the head of government....
.

Many democratic countries, most notably Great Britain and France have had colonies, the inhabitants of which have not, or mostly not, been citizens of the imperial power, but subjects; subjects have generally not been entitled to vote for the imperial legislature. A peculiarly complex case is that of Algeria

Algeria

Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country located in North Africa. It is the largest country of the Mediterranean sea, second largest in the Arab World, and the second largest on the African continent and the eleventh-largest country in the world in terms of land area....
under the Fourth French Republic; Algeria was legally an integral part of France, but citizenship was restricted (as in the French colonies proper) by culture, not by race or ethnicity. Any Algerian could become a French citizen by choosing to live like a Frenchman; very few did.

Citizens of an EU Member-State are allowed to vote in E.U. parliamentary elections

European Parliament

The European Parliament is the only direct election parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union , it forms the bicameral Institutions of the European Union#Legislature of the Institutions of the European Union and has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world....
, as well as some local elections. For example, a Briton

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
living in Graz

Graz

Graz , with a population of around 290,000 as of 2008 , is the List of cities and towns in Austria#List of cities and towns by population size in Austria after Vienna and the capital of the federal state of Styria ....
, Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west....
, would be able to vote in for the European Parliament as a resident of the "electoral district" of Austria, and to vote in Graz municipal elections. He would, however, not be able to vote in Austrian (federal) elections, or Styrian (state) elections. Similarly, all locally resident EU citizens in the UK are allowed to vote for representatives of the local council, and those resident in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may vote for the devolved parliaments or assemblies, but only British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens are allowed to vote for the British House of Commons

British House of Commons

The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the British monarchy and the House of Lords ....
.

Notable dates for universal suffrage in the world

States have granted and revoked universal suffrage at various times, including Brunei since 1962

Politics of Brunei

The politics of Brunei take place in a framework of an absolute monarchy, whereby the Sultan of Brunei is both head of state and head of government....
. Note: The table can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically using the icon.

**Universal suffrage by country/territory**
Year	Country / Territory	Notes
1792	France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....	Universal male suffrage used in 1792, for the National Convention National Convention During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the constitutional and legislative Deliberative assembly which sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 .... , enacted by law in 1793.
1848	France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....	Universal male suffrage reintroduced for Second Republic Second Republic There have been several Second Republics in the course of history.* Venezuelan Second Republic * French Second Republic * Second Polish Republic ... . Restrictions introduced to ensure voters' residence in 1851. Universal male suffrage confirmed on creation of Second Empire in 1852 and used ever since.
1869	Wyoming, USA Wyoming The State of Wyoming is a sparsely populated U.S. state in the Northwestern United States of the United States. The majority of the state is dominated by the mountain ranges and rangelands of the Rocky Mountains, while the easternmost section of the state is a high altitude prairie region known as the High Plains ....	The first U.S. territory to allow women to run for the legislature and vote. Upon the state's admission into the Union in 1890, Wyoming was the first U.S. state U.S. state A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile .... to grant women the voting franchise. Other Western states also had universal suffrage before 1920.
1886 - 1899	Tavolara	During its republican period 1886-1899, this small island country near Sardinia Sardinia Sardinia is the Mediterranean islands#By area island in the Mediterranean Sea . The area of Sardinia is . The island is surrounded by the France island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Tunisia and the Balearic Islands.... practiced universal suffrage. Later it became a part of Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia.... .
1889	Franceville Franceville, New Hebrides The municipality of Franceville on Efate or Sandwich island was established during the period when the New Hebrides were a neutral territory under the loose jurisdiction of a joint Anglo-French naval commission....	Universal suffrage without distinction of sex or race; however, only whites could hold office. After 1906 it was jointly ruled by France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France.... and Britain United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe.... and is now part of Vanuatu Vanuatu Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, north-east of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and south of the Solomon Islands, near New Zealand.... .
1893	New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....	With the inclusion of women becomes the first major nation to grant universal suffrage; however, women were not eligible to stand for parliament until 1919. Universal suffrage for Maori Maori The Maori are the indigenous people Polynesian people of Aotearoa . The group probably arrived in south-western Polynesia in several waves at some time before 1300.... men over 21 granted 1867; extended to European males 1879.
1894	South Australia South Australia South Australia is a States and territories of Australia of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....	Women's suffrage, but not universal. First state to also allow women as candidates for parliament. Other Australian states followed 1899-1908. Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians are the first human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands and their descendants. Indigenous Australians are distinguished as either Australian Aborigines or Torres Strait Islanders, who currently together make up about 2.6% of Australia's population.... were allowed to vote, but this right was restricted for some of them from 1902 and not completely restored until 1963.
1901	Australia Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....	The Commonwealth Constitution does not guarantee universal adult suffrage, although three Justices in McGinty v Western Australia (1996) 186 CLR 140; 134 ALR 289 stated that the requirement did in fact flow from the Commonwealth Constitution, as interpreted today.
1906	Grand Duchy of Finland Grand Duchy of Finland The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland that existed in its territory 1809–1917 as part of the Russian Empire....	As an autonomous Grand Duchy Grand duchy A grand duchy is a territory whose head of state is a Grand Duke or Grand Duchess.The only grand duchy in existence today is Luxembourg. It has been a grand duchy since 1815 when the Netherlands became an independent kingdom and Luxembourg was handed over to the King of the Netherlands, William I of the Netherlands.... in the Russian Empire Russian Empire File:Russian Emperor Flag.jpgFile:Romanov Flag.svgThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917.... , including women, first nation to also allow women as candidates. The Finnish parliamentary election of 1907 Finnish parliamentary election, 1907 The Finland parliamentary election in 1907, in the autonomy Grand Duchy of Finland, was the first parliamentary election in which member of parliament were elected to the new Parliament of Finland by universal suffrage.... was the first time when women were actually elected (19 of 200 MPs). Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland , is a Nordic countries situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.... became independent with the same Universal Suffrage in 1917. However, universal suffrage was only extended to local elections after independence.
1907	Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west....	Equal suffrage for men
1913	Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....	Including women, first independent nation to also allow women as candidates.
1915	Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....	First voting rights to anyone came in 1849, and the rules were changed a number of times. But it was not until the change of the constitution in 1915 that all men and women had influence on all chambers.
1917	Estonia Estonia Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Finland across the Gulf of Finland, to the west by Sweden across the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by the Russia ....	Two tiered elections were held, with 62 representatives from rural communities and towns elected in May-June and July-August, respectively.
1918	Canada Canada Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....	All women were granted the right to vote, and since 1920 a uniform federal franchise was created; Last to enact women's suffrage provincially was Quebec Quebec Quebec , in French language, *Qu?bec* , is a Provinces and territories of Canada in the Central Canada and Eastern Canada regions of Canada.... in 1940; status Indians gained the right to vote in 1960.
1918	United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....	Women over 30 had been given the vote in 1918 with some property restrictions and in 1928 universal suffrage for all.
1918	Soviet Union Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....	With the 1918 Soviet Constitution 1918 Soviet Constitution The first Russian Constitution, which governed the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, described the regime that assumed power in the October Revolution of 1917.... ; direct voting and the lifting of some political restrictions not until the 1936 Soviet Constitution 1936 Soviet Constitution The 1936 Soviet constitution, adopted on December 5, 1936, and also known as the "Stalin" constitution, redesigned the government of the Soviet Union.... .
1918	Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west....	After the Central Powers Central Powers The Central Powers was one of the two sides that participated in World War I, the other being the Allies of World War I.... ' defeat in World War I World War I World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers.... universal suffrage including women.
1918	Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe that existed from October 1918 until 1992 . On January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia dissolution of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia....	After the Central Powers Central Powers The Central Powers was one of the two sides that participated in World War I, the other being the Allies of World War I.... ' defeat in World War I
1918	Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....	After the Central Powers Central Powers The Central Powers was one of the two sides that participated in World War I, the other being the Allies of World War I.... ' defeat in World War I and the introduction of a democratic system, the Weimar Republic Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic was the democracy and republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933. Following World War I, the republic emerged from the German Revolution in November 1918.... . Revoked during 1935-1945 by the Nuremberg Laws Nuremberg Laws The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 were laws passed in Nazi Germany. They used a pseudoscience basis to discriminate against Jewish people. The laws classified people as German if all four of their grandparents were of "German blood" , while people were classified as Jews if they descended from three or four Jewish grandparents .... . The restrictions applied also to the territories occupied by the Nazis during World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers.... . The German Empire German Empire The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from the unification of Germany and proclamation of William I, German Emperor as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became Weimar republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of William II, German Emperor .... (and the North German Confederation North German Confederation The North German Confederation , came into existence in August 1866 as a military alliance of 22 states of northern Germany with the Kingdom of Prussia as the leading state.... before it) had had universal male suffrage since 1867, but only in federal elections; several constituent states, like Prussia Prussia Prussia was, most recently, a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This state had for centuries substantial influence on Germany and European history.... , had had census suffrage and some, like Mecklenburg Mecklenburg Mecklenburg is a region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, and Neubrandenburg.... , had had no state elections at all.
1918	Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially in English the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia....	After the Central Powers Central Powers The Central Powers was one of the two sides that participated in World War I, the other being the Allies of World War I.... ' defeat in World War I
1919	Democratic Republic of Armenia Democratic Republic of Armenia The Democratic Republic of Armenia , 1918?1920, was the first modern establishment of an Armenian republic. The collapse of the Imperial Russia with the Russian Revolution of 1917 gave chance to the Armenian Revolutionary Federation to create the new republic which the leadership and the 103 of delegates from former Romanov realm belonged t...	became part of the Soviet Union in 1920
1919	Azerbaijan Democratic Republic Azerbaijan Democratic Republic The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the first successful attempt to establish a democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world . The ADR was founded on May 28, 1918 after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917 by Azerbaijani National Council in Tiflis....	became part of the Soviet Union in 1920
1919	Democratic Republic of Georgia Democratic Republic of Georgia The Democratic Republic of Georgia , 1918?1921, was the first modern establishment of a Republic of Georgia .The DRG was created after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917....	became part of the Soviet Union in 1921
1919	Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
1919	Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a small landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany....
1919	The Netherlands	universal male suffrage in 1917
1920	United States United States The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...	Extended to women with the 19th Amendment Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits each of the U.S. state and the federal government of the United States from denying any citizen the right to vote because of that citizen's sex.... in 1920. African American African American African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the Black people populations of Africa.... s were legally given the right to vote by the 15th Amendment Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits each government in the United States from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, colored or previous condition of servitude" .... in 1870, but this was restricted in some areas, particularly the South Southern United States The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central United States.... , through paralegal methods until 1964, when the Civil Rights Act Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed racial segregation in schools, public places, and employment.... enforced the 15th Amendment, and the 24th Amendment Twenty-fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution Amendment XXIV prohibits both Congress and the states from conditioning the right to vote in United States Government elections on payment of a poll tax or other types of tax.... ended poll tax Poll tax A poll tax, head tax, or capitation tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corv?e is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax .... ing, thus removing all restrictions to the African American vote. Minimum voting age reduced to 18 by 26th Amendment Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution The 'Twenty-sixth Amendment' to the United States Constitution standardized the voting age to 18. It was adopted in response to student activism against the Vietnam War and to partially overrule the Supreme Court of the United States decision in Oregon v.... in 1971.
1921	Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....	universal male suffrage 1911, female suffrage 1921
1922	Lithuania Lithuania Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest....
1922	Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....	As the Irish Free State Irish Free State The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand.... in 1922, law adopted from British law having been part of the United Kingdom. Law subsequently carried over during changes in constitutional status in 1937 and 1949.
1925	Newfoundland Dominion of Newfoundland The Dominion of Newfoundland was a Dominion from 1907 to 1949. The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic Ocean coast and comprised the Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland....	Joined Canada in 1949.
1931	Ceylon (now as Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India.... )	Indian Tamil Tamil people Tamil people , are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, a state in India, and the Sri Lankan Tamils of Sri Lanka. They speak Tamil language , with a recorded history going back five millennia.... s disenfranchised 1949
1932	Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the List of countries by population country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world....	Replaced the previous system of male suffrage, from 1891, which excluded homeless, women, priests, the military and illiterates.
1933	Spain Spain Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....	Suffrage for men practiced since 1869 to 1923 and in the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1936). In November 19, 1933 women were granted the right to vote. Revoked during Franco era (1939-1975) and recovered since 1977 and in the new Spanish Constitution.
1933	Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in southwest Asia and Thrace in the Balkans region of Southern Europe....
1935	Burma	Last free elections held in 1990.
1944	France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....	Universal suffrage including women introduced 1944
1944	Jamaica Jamaica Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. It is about south of Cuba, and west of the island of Hispaniola, on which Haiti and the Dominican Republic are situated....	Universal suffrage for all males and females 18 or older
1945	Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....	Universal male suffrage 1912 for people 30 or older, 1918 for people 21 or older
1945	Japan Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....	Universal male suffrage 1926
1947	Republic of China Republic of China The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan.... (now on Taiwan)	Universal suffrage under the Constitution of the Republic of China Constitution of the Republic of China The Constitution of the Republic of China is the fundamental law of the Republic of China , with jurisdiction over Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu ....
1948	United Nations United Nations The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, Social change, human rights and achieving world peace....	Provision of "universal and equal suffrage" in Universal Declaration of Human Rights Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Guinness Book of Records describes the UDHR as the "Most Translated Document" in the world.... [Article 21(3)]
1948	Israel Israel Israel officially the State of Israel , is a country in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area....	Universal suffrage since the founding of the State of Israel.
1948	South Korea South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea , ), often referred to as Korea and the "names of Korea#Revival of the names", is a Semi-presidential system republic in East Asia, located in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula....
1948	Belgium Belgium * A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
1950	India India India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....	All citizens as recognized by the Constitution of India Constitution of India The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishing the structure, procedures, powers and duties, of the government and spells out the fundamental rights, Directive Principles in India and duties of citizens.... , irrespective of race or gender.
1951	Argentina Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is a country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city....	Universal male suffrage granted in 1912; universal women's suffrage introduced in 1947.
1951	Ghana Ghana The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders C?te d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south....	Universal suffrage granted for the 1951 legislative election Gold Coast legislative election, 1951 Elections for the Parliament of Ghana were held for the first time in the Gold Coast on 8 February 1951. Although elections had been held for the Legislative Council since 1925, the Council did not have complete control over the legislation, and the voting franchise was limited to councils of chiefs.... .
1952	Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....	Universal male suffrage in 1864, with secret ballot; women given the vote in local elections since 1930 and in parliamentary elections since 1952.
1955	Malaysia Malaysia Malaysia is a federation that consists of States of Malaysia in Southeast Asia with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government....	The victory of Union Party convinces the British to grant Malaysia's Independence Independence Independence is the self-government of a nation, country, or state by its residents and population, or some portion thereof, generally exercising sovereignty.... in 1957.
1956	Colombia Colombia Colombia , officially the Republic of Colombia , is a country in north-western South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the north west by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean....	Electorate defined on the basis of adult franchise and Joint electorate.
1956	Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
1963	Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....	Reforms under Shah's "White Revolution White Revolution The White Revolution was a far-reaching series of reforms launched in 1963 by the late Shah of Iran of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.... "
1964	Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....	Constitution transformed Afghanistan into a modern democracy.
1965	Australia Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....	A murky constitutional history regarding the voting rights of Aboriginals of Australia was clarified and ratified at the federal government level and in subsequent state governments in the following years - see Human rights in Australia Human rights in Australia Human rights in Australia are generally respected and recognised. Although Australia is the only western democracy with no bill of rights, numerous laws have been enacted to protect human rights and the Constitution of Australia has been found to contain certain implied rights by the High Court of Australia.... for more.
1971	Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland is a landlocked Swiss Alps country of roughly 7.7 million people in Western Europe with an area of 41,285 km?. Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 states called Cantons of Switzerland....	Introduction of women's suffrage at the federal level; for cantonal Cantons of Switzerland File:Karte 13 Alte Orte.pngThe 26 cantons of Switzerland are the State s of the federation of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereignty state with its own borders, army and currency until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848.... elections this was not completed until 1990 Appenzell Innerrhoden Appenzell Innerrhoden is the smallest Cantons of Switzerland of Switzerland by population and the second smallest by area, Basel-City having less area.... .
1976	Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Located in southwestern Europe, Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east....
1979	European Community European Community The European Community is one of the three pillars of the European Union created under the Maastricht Treaty . It is based upon the principle of supranationalism and has its origins in the European Economic Community, the predecessor of the European Union.... (now European Union European Union The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community.... )
1984	Liechtenstein Liechtenstein The Principality of Liechtenstein is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked country alpine country microstate in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and by Austria to the east....
1990	Samoa Samoa Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa , is a country governing the western part of the Samoan Islands archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean....
1994	South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....	universal suffrage not regarding race or colour of skin; Blacks and Coloured Coloured In the South African, Namibian, Zambian, Botswana and Zimbabwean context, the term Coloured refers or referred to an ethnic group of people who possess sub-Saharan African ancestry, but not enough to be considered Black people under the law of South Africa.... s were denied the right to vote during the Apartheid era (1948-1994) White women's suffrage granted in 1930.
1996	Taiwan Taiwan Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
2002	Bahrain Bahrain The Kingdom of Bahrain, in , , literally Kingdom of the Two Seas).Bahrain is an Arabic island country in the Persian Gulf ruled by the Al Khalifa regime....	Universal male suffrage in 1973, although parliament was suspended and dissolved in 1975 for approximately 30 years.
2003	Oman Oman Oman , officially the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab country in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates on the northwest, Saudi Arabia on the west and Yemen on the southwest....
2005	Kuwait Kuwait The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west....	Universal adult male suffrage since 1962, for citizens who are 21 or older, with the exception of those who, at the time of elections, serve in the armed forces and, citizens who have been naturalized for fewer than 30 years. Note: As of 2005, women who satisfy the age and citizenship requirements are allowed to vote provided both men and women vote in separate polling locations.
2006 - 2010	U.A.E.	Limited, will be fully expanded by 2010.
2008	Qatar Qatar Qatar , officially the State of Qatar , is an Arab emirate in Southwest Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the larger Arabian Peninsula....	Municipal elections in 1999.
2008	Bhutan Bhutan The Kingdom of Bhutan is a landlocked nation in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalaya Mountains and is bordered to the south, east and west by India and to the north by the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China....

Women suffrage

The first women's suffrage

Women's suffrage

Corsican Republic

In November 1755, Pasquale Paoli proclaimed Corsica a sovereignty, the Corsican Republic, independent from the Republic of Genoa. He created the Corsican Constitution, which was the first constitution written under Age of Enlightenment principles, including the first implementation of female suffrage, later revoked by the French when they too...
in 1755 and lasted until 1769.

Women's suffrage (with the same property qualifications as for men) was next granted in New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, on the southwest by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania....
in 1776 (the word "inhabitants" was used instead of "men") and rescinded in 1807.

The Pitcairn Islands

Pitcairn Islands

The Pitcairn Islands , officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson Island , Ducie Island and Oeno Island Islands, are a group of four volcano islands in the southern Pacific Ocean....
granted restricted women's suffrage in 1838. Various other countries and states granted restricted women's suffrage in the latter half of the nineteenth century, starting with South Australia in 1861.

The first unrestricted women's suffrage in terms of voting rights (women were not initially permitted to stand for election) in a major country was granted in New Zealand. The women's suffrage bill was adopted mere weeks before the general election

General election

A general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are up for election. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections....
of 1893.

South Australia first granted women suffrage and allowed them to stand for parliament in 1894.

In 1931, the Second Spanish Republic

Second Spanish Republic

The Second Spanish Republic was the system of government in Spain between April 14 1931, when King of Spain Alfonso XIII of Spain left the country following local and municipal elections in which republican candidates won the majority of votes in urban areas and April 1 1939, when the last of the Republican forces surrendered to Nationalist...
allowed women the right of passive suffrage with three women being elected. During the discussion to extend their right to active suffrage, the Radical Socialist Victoria Kent

Victoria Kent

Victoria Kent was a Spain lawyer and Second Spanish Republic politician.She was affiliated to Radical Socialist Republican Party and came to fame in 1930 for defending - at a court martial - ?lvaro de Albornoz, who would shortly afterwards go on to become minister of justice and later the future president of the Republican government in ex...
confronted the Radical Clara Campoamor. Kent argued that Spanish women were not yet prepared to vote and, since they were too influenced by the Catholic Church they would vote for right-wing candidates. Campoamor however pleaded for women's rights regardless of political orientation. Her point finally prevailed and, in the election of 1933, the political right won with the vote of citizens of any sex over 23. Both Campoamor and Kent lost their seats.

Universal suffrage

Expanding suffrage

Disfranchisement

Notable dates for universal suffrage in the world

Women suffrage

See also

External links