(MENAFN- Swissinfo)
Most countries claim to have universal suffrage. And yet, no country in the world fully applies it. Dealing with this paradox requires a new approach: Make voting rights portable, suggests democracy columnist Joe Mathews.
This content was published on February 24, 2021 - 09:00 February 24, 2021 - 09:00 Joe Mathews
How can we make universal suffrage truly universal?
That such a question must be asked points out a democratic paradox. Universal suffrage – the term meaning that everyone has the right to vote – is described as a fundamental feature of modern democracy. But there is no country where universal suffrage is actually universal.
That may surprise you, because more than 100 countries claim to have universal suffrage. But by that, they mean only that there are no distinctions between voters based on gender, race, ethnicity, wealth, or literacy.
In reality, all democracies prevent many of their residents from voting, and do so without apology. In Switzerland and many other countries children and teenagers are denied voting rights because of their age. Many countries limit the voting rights of people in prison. Most democracies deny equal suffrage to members of their population who lack citizenship, residency, or other legal status. And there is considerable opposition to movements that seek to extend suffrage to children, convicts and non-citizens.
More
More
MENAFN24022021000210011054ID1101652295
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.