In this chapter, the authors provide an overview of the most common restrictions imposed by legislation on the right to vote, as well as on the right to stand as a candidate for election. Voting rights can be restricted on the basis of age, place of residence, citizenship, criminal conviction, bankruptcy, physical or mental disability, knowledge of a certain language, status as a member of the military, or for other reasons. Many national or local laws around the globe require residents to live within the country or relevant jurisdiction for a certain amount of time before they qualify to vote or before they qualify to stand for election. Legislation is often designed only with healthy voters in mind. Polling places are not wheelchair-accessible, or ballots are designed in such a way that visually impaired voters cannot read them. The court’s assessment was that the Communist Party of Latvia could pose a real threat to Latvian democracy.

Djordje Gardašević and Jurij Toplak, Voting Rights and Limitations, Routledge Handbook of Election Law, 2022.