Universal Adult Franchise

With a few minor exceptions, universal adult suffrage guarantees that every adult citizen has the right to vote, regardless of their resources, money, gender, social standing, color, ethnicity, political attitude, or any other constraint. India, a supporter of political equality, was successful in removing obstacles that prevented adult voters from exercising their right to vote.

Background

1. In the years prior to India’s independence, only 13% of Indian citizens were eligible to vote.
2. The push for full adult suffrage was picking some steam a few decades before independence.
3. One of the first reports to support unrestricted adult franchises and equal rights for women was the Motilal Nehru report.
4. When Dr. B.R. Ambedkar testified before the Simon Commission in 1928, he pushed for the Indian Constitution to include a universal adult franchise.
5. Later, the Indian National Congress demanded political equality at the Karachi session in 1931.
6. The party claims that it would be a crucial step toward increasing electoral participation and inclusivity.
7. On the basis of the universal adult franchise, India started preparing the first draught electoral roll in November 1947.
8. When the current constitution was passed in 1949 and put into effect on January 26, 1950, India adopted the idea of universal adult suffrage.

Constitutional Provisions

1. The legal age to vote varies from nation to nation. Our nation currently requires that franchisees be at least 18 years old to exercise their rights.
2. The 61st Amendment Act of 1989 lowered the legal voting age from 21 to 18.

A universal adult franchise is outlined in Article 326 as the foundation for elections to all levels of elected government. All citizens who are 18 years of age and older, regardless of caste, education, religion, race, or color, are eligible to vote under the concept of the universal adult franchise. A universal adult franchise is crucial in a democracy since it is founded on the ideal of equality. It declares that each adult citizen has one vote, regardless of their financial situation or the community they are a part of. The universal adult franchise has been approved by the Indian Constitution as the foundation for elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.