A brief history of voting rights in Europe

By Jugv
  • Royal election of the monarch in the kingdom of Poland
    1573

    Royal election of the monarch in the kingdom of Poland

    Elective monarchy
  • Period: to

    No elections in Poland

    On repasse sous la domination russe
  • Census suffrage in France

    Census suffrage in France

    Census suffrage for men (Tiers-Etat)
  • Universal suffrage in France

    Universal suffrage in France

    Universal suffrage only for men.
  • Return to census suffrage in France

    Return to census suffrage in France

  • Return to universal suffrage in France

    Return to universal suffrage in France

    Return to universal suffrage for men in France
  • Period: to

    Census suffrage in Germany

    Census suffrage progressively introduced in the German states
  • Census suffrage in Portugal

    Census suffrage in Portugal

    Limited to men with a useful profession
  • Universal male suffrage in the Spanish empire

    Universal male suffrage in the Spanish empire

    Universal male suffrage (except for afrodescent men)
  • Return to census suffrage in France (II)

    Return to census suffrage in France (II)

  • Census suffrage in Ireland (still not independent)

    Census suffrage in Ireland (still not independent)

    Census suffrage in Ireland
  • Census suffrage in Belgium

    Census suffrage in Belgium

    Introduction of census suffrage in Belgium
  • Universal male suffrage in Greece

    Universal male suffrage in Greece

  • Census male suffrage in Luxemburg

    Census male suffrage in Luxemburg

  • Census suffrage in Austria

    Census suffrage in Austria

    Introduction of the census suffrage in Austria
  • Universal male suffrage in Germany

    Universal male suffrage in Germany

    At the occasion of the Francfort Nationalversammlung
  • Census male suffrage in Hungary

    Census male suffrage in Hungary

  • Return to universal men suffrage in France (II)

    Return to universal men suffrage in France (II)

  • Census suffrage in the Netherlands

    Census suffrage in the Netherlands

  • Census suffrage in Denmark

    Census suffrage in Denmark

    Introduction of the census suffrage in Denmark
  • Census suffrage in Sweden

    Census suffrage in Sweden

    Census male suffrage with unequal votes
  • Census suffrage in Italy

    Census suffrage in Italy

    Census male suffrage in Italy
  • Census male suffrage in Romania

    Census male suffrage in Romania

  • Universal male suffrage in Spanish Empire

    Universal male suffrage in Spanish Empire

    Universal male suffrage without ethnic conditions
  • Universal suffrage for men in Bulgaria

    Universal suffrage for men in Bulgaria

    Introduction of universal suffrage for men
  • Full suffrage for men in Belgium

    Full suffrage for men in Belgium

    Introduction of full suffrage for all men in Belgium with double voting for some electors
  • Full suffrage for men in Austria

    Full suffrage for men in Austria

    Introduction of the full suffrage for all men in Austria. However, votes were not equal: nobility, members of city councils and merchant could vote several times
  • Full suffrage in Finland

    Full suffrage in Finland

    Full suffrage in Finland, for both women and men, aged above 24. However, proportionate vote according to the number of properties.
    First country in Europe to give women the right to vote (2nd in the world)
  • Universal suffrage for men in Austria

    Universal suffrage for men in Austria

    Universal suffrage for men in Austria. That means, that every vote is equal
  • Universal male suffrage

    Universal male suffrage

  • Universal male suffrage in Italy

    Universal male suffrage in Italy

  • Universal suffrage in Denmark

    Universal suffrage in Denmark

    Universal suffrage for both men and women
  • Universal suffrage in Estonia

    Universal suffrage in Estonia

    Universal suffrage for men and women in Estonia
  • Universal suffrage in Latvia

    Universal suffrage in Latvia

  • Universal male suffrage in the Netherlands

    Universal male suffrage in the Netherlands

  • Universal suffrage in Austria

    Universal suffrage in Austria

    Universal suffrage for both men and women
  • Universal suffrage for men in Belgium

    Universal suffrage for men in Belgium

    Universal suffrage for men with equal votes
  • Universal suffrage in Germany

    Universal suffrage in Germany

    Universal suffrage for both men and women in Germany
  • Universal suffrage in Lithuania

    Universal suffrage in Lithuania

    Universal suffrage for both men and women
  • Universal male suffrage in Romania

    Universal male suffrage in Romania

  • Census male and female suffrage in Hungary

    Census male and female suffrage in Hungary

    Women have to be over 24 (21 for men) and they have to be able to read and write "in any of the domestic language"
  • Universal suffrage in Poland

    Universal suffrage in Poland

    Universal suffrage for both men and women
  • Universal male suffrage and "census" female suffrage

    Universal male suffrage and "census" female suffrage

    Universal male suffrage and "census" female suffrage : most women over 30 (21 for men)
  • Universal suffrage in Sweden

    Universal suffrage in Sweden

    Universal suffrage for both men and women
  • Universal suffrage in the Netherlands

    Universal suffrage in the Netherlands

    Universal suffrage for both men and women in the Netherlands
  • Universal suffrage in Finland

    Universal suffrage in Finland

    Universal suffrage for both men and women and with equal votes
  • Universal suffrage in Ireland

    Universal suffrage in Ireland

    Universal suffrage for both men and women (21 years old)
  • Universal suffrage in Greece

    Universal suffrage in Greece

    Universal suffrage for both men and women at all elections
  • Universal suffrage in Spain

    Universal suffrage in Spain

    Universal suffrage for both men and women
  • Census female suffrage in Portugal

    Census female suffrage in Portugal

    Les femmes de droit exercent ce droit si elles sont des enfants de la famille et ont une éducation secondaire ou supérieure. À leur tour, les citoyens analphabètes ne peuvent voter que s'ils paient des impôts supérieurs à 100 escudos.
  • Period: to

    Women lost their rights to vote under Franco

  • Census female suffrage in Romania

    Census female suffrage in Romania

    Based on the literacy
  • Universal suffrage in Bulgaria

    Universal suffrage in Bulgaria

    Universal suffrage for both men and women
  • Universal suffrage in France

    Universal suffrage in France

    Universal suffrage for both men and women
  • Universal suffrage in Hungary

    Universal suffrage in Hungary

  • Universal suffrage in Italy

    Universal suffrage in Italy

  • Universal suffrage in Malta

    Universal suffrage in Malta

    Universal suffrage for both men and women
  • Universal suffrage in Belgium

    Universal suffrage in Belgium

    Universal suffrage for both men and women
  • Universal suffrage in Romania

    Universal suffrage in Romania

    Universal suffrage for both men and women in Romania
  • Universal suffrage in local elections in Greece

    Universal suffrage in local elections in Greece

    Universal suffrage for both men and women only at local elections in Greece
  • Universal suffrage in Portugal

    Universal suffrage in Portugal

    Universal suffrage for both men and women
  • 1st EU elections

    1st EU elections

  • Voting and eligibility rights for the Nordic Passport Union citizens

    Voting and eligibility rights for the Nordic Passport Union citizens

    Voting and eligibility rights were granted to Nordic Passport Union country citizens without residency condition for municipal elections.
  • British citizens can vote for the Dàil elections

    British citizens can vote for the Dàil elections

  • Voting and eligibility rights for all foreign residents in Finland

    Voting and eligibility rights for all foreign residents in Finland

    Voting and eligibility rights were extended to all foreign residents in 1991 with a two-year residency condition for municipal elections.
  • Non-European citizens can vote for municipal elections in Belgium

    Non-European citizens can vote for municipal elections in Belgium

    Non-European citizens can vote for municipal elections after 5 years of legal residency
  • Vote age lowered in Austria

    Vote age lowered in Austria

    The minimal age to vote in Austria is lowered to 16 ("active voting right"). The right to stand in an austrian election is still 18 ("passive voting right")
  • Referendum of the voting rights of foreigners in Luxembourg

    Referendum of the voting rights of foreigners in Luxembourg