Election FAQs: What is universal adult franchise?

According to Article 326 of the Constitution of India, 1950, "the elections to the House of the people and to the Legislative Assembly of every state shall be on the basis of adult suffrage; that is to say, every person who is a citizen of India and who is not less than eighteen years of age on such date as may be fixed in that behalf by or under any law made by the appropriate Legislature and is not otherwise disqualified under this Constitution or any law made by the appropriate Legislature on the ground of non-residence, unsoundness of mind, crime or corrupt or illegal practice, shall be entitled to be registered as a voter at any such election". All Indian citizens, irrespective of caste, creed, gender, race or ethnicity, have the right to cast their vote.

History of adult suffrage in India

The demand for adult suffrage had started to gain momentum in India decades before independence. The Motilal Nehru report of 1928, which backed the concept of adult franchise and equal rights for women was among the first to demand adult suffrage.

The resolution of the 1931 Karachi Session in the Indian National Congress also affirmed that the universal adult franchise was an important part of attaining total freedom or 'Purna Swaraj' .

On June 16, 1949, the provision of universal adult suffrage was introduced by the drafting committee chairman, after which it was declared that elections in India would be based on universal adult suffrage, a move that was a major diversion from colonial law.

The draft of electors list was ready before the constitution was enacted, thus making Indians voters before they became citizens, as per an article published in The Print.

When first introduced, the minimum age to exercise one's right to vote was 21. However, in 1989, the Sixty-First Amendment Act lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.