Editing Suffrage (section)

{{short description|Right to vote in public and political elections}}
{{distinguish|Universal suffrage}}
{{redirect-multi|3|Right to vote|Suffragist|The Franchise|the group|Right to Vote|the organisation|National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies|other uses|The Franchise (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
[[File:Voters standing in the queue to cast their votes, at a polling booth, during the 9th Phase of General Elections-2014, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on May 12, 2014.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|People queuing and showing their [[identity document]]s for voting in the [[2014 Indian general election]]]]
'''Suffrage''', '''political franchise''', or simply '''franchise''' is the '''right to vote''' in [[representative democracy|public, political elections]] and [[referendum]]s (although the term is sometimes used for any right to [[vote]]).<ref>{{Cite American Heritage Dictionary|suffrage}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/suffrage |title=Definition of "suffrage" – Collins English Dictionary |access-date=28 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/suffrage |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127122120/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/suffrage |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 November 2013 |title=suffrage – definition of suffrage in English from the Oxford dictionary |access-date=28 July 2015}}</ref> In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vote is called '''active suffrage''', as distinct from [[passive suffrage]], which is the right to stand for election.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aceproject.org/main/english/lf/lfd02.htm |title=Deprivation of the Right to Vote |website=ACE Electoral Knowledge Network |publisher=Aceproject.org}}</ref> The combination of active and passive suffrage is sometimes called ''full suffrage''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.glbtqarchive.com/ssh/womens_suffrage_movement_S.pdf |title=Women's Suffrage Movement |publisher=glbtq |url-status=live |first=Tina |year=2015 |last=Gianoulis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329083246/http://glbtqarchive.com/ssh/womens_suffrage_movement_S.pdf |archive-date=29 March 2019}}</ref>

In most democracies, eligible voters can vote in elections for representatives. Voting on issues by referendum ([[direct democracy]]) may also be available. For example, in [[Switzerland]], this is permitted at all levels of government. In the [[United States]], [[Initiatives and referendums in the United States#Types of initiatives and referendums|some states]] allow citizens the opportunity to write, propose, and vote on referendums ([[popular initiative]]s); other states and the [[United States federal government|federal government]] do not. [[Referendums in the United Kingdom]] are rare.

Suffrage continues to be especially restricted on the basis of [[voting age|age]], [[Non-resident citizen voting|residency]] and [[Non-citizen suffrage|citizenship status]] in many places. In some countries additional restrictions exist. In Great Britain and the United States a felon might lose the right to vote. In some countries being under [[guardianship]] may restrict the right to vote. [[Non-resident citizen voting]] allows [[emigrant]]s and [[expat]]s of some countries to vote in their home country.<ref name="Umpierrez de Reguero 2024">{{cite journal |last1=Umpierrez de Reguero |first1=Sebastián |last2=Finn |first2=Victoria |title=Migrants' intention to vote in two countries, one country, or neither |journal=Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties |volume=34 |issue=3 |date=2 July 2024 |issn=1745-7289 |doi=10.1080/17457289.2023.2189727 |pages=466–489 |hdl=1814/75483 |hdl-access=free}}</ref> Resident [[Right of foreigners to vote|non-citizens can vote]] in some countries, which may be restricted to citizens of closely linked countries (e.g., [[Commonwealth of Nations#Commonwealth citizenship and high commissioners|Commonwealth citizens]] and [[Elections to the European Parliament#Eligibility|European Union citizens]]) or to certain offices or questions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Who is eligible to vote at a UK general election? |url=http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/faq/voting-and-registration/who-is-eligible-to-vote-at-a-uk-general-election |publisher=The Electoral Commission |postscript=none |access-date=9 February 2016 |archive-date=19 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419134030/http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/faq/voting-and-registration/who-is-eligible-to-vote-at-a-uk-general-election |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Can I vote? |url=http://www.europarl.org.uk/en/your-meps/european_elections/can_i_vote.html |publisher=European Parliament Information Office in the United Kingdom |postscript=none |access-date=9 February 2016 |archive-date=11 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311134319/http://www.europarl.org.uk/en/your-meps/european_elections/can_i_vote.html |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Why Can Commonwealth Citizens Vote in the U.K.? An Expat Asks |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/expat/2015/04/27/why-can-commonwealth-citizens-vote-in-the-u-k-an-expat-asks/ |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=9 February 2016 |date=27 April 2015}}</ref> [[Multiple citizenship]] typically allows to vote in multiple countries.<ref name="Umpierrez de Reguero 2024"/> Historically the right to vote was more restricted, for example by gender, race, or wealth.