Back to rights and freedoms: right by right Show Article 25 | Human Rights Committee General Comment | Constitutional protection | Commission work | More information | Comments Article 25ICCPR Article 25 states:
Human Rights Committee General CommentThe Human Rights Committee's General Comment No. 25: The right to participate in public affairs, voting rights and the right of equal access to public service is reproduced in full below. It emphasises the relationship between the rights recognised in Article 25 and other rights, including
Constitutional protectionSection 41 of the Constitution which deal with the right to vote provides only that persons having the right to vote in State elections have the right to vote in Federal elections. Limitations on the right to vote have been a focus of the Commission's work. Although the Constitution does not contain an express statement equivalent to the full extent of rights recognised in ICCPR Article 25, the High Court has found a degree of implied Constituional protection. In particular, similarly to the Human Rights Committee, the High Court has emphasised the connection between the rights recognised in Article 25 and the rights to freedom of association and expression. Relevant Constitutional provisions and case law were summarised by the High Court as follows in Unions NSW v New South Wales [2013] HCA 58:
The Court in Unions NSW also observed:
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Electoral access and disability
Electoral participation for prisoners and disadvantaged people
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CommentsComments are invited on issues raised on this page, including suggestions for addition, amendments or additional resources, using the Comments field at the end of this page. Please note that
Please email if any difficulties are encountered in posting comments. What percentage of people vote?According to the Current Population Survey, 2020 voter turnout was 68.4% for women and 65.0% for men. About 9.7 million more women than men voted.
What is the average age of voters in America?The median age of the entire electorate in presidential election years was between 39 and 45; the median age of voters in those years was between 43 and 46. 9 The Census Bureau also provides an interval estimate for the family income of voters, from which median family income can be obtained (see Table 2).
What affects voter turnout?Additionally, many factors impact voter turnout, including new election laws, the type of election (e.g., presidential or midterm), and the competitiveness of the race. The number of voting-age voters (i.e., 18 years of age or older) in a jurisdiction.
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