Franchise/Suffrage – SS2 Government Lesson Note (First Term)

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. define franchise and distinguish the electorate from candidates;
2. state the two types of franchise;
3. state the merits and demerits of limited and unlimited franchise;
4. list the types of suffrage;
5. state the conditions a person must meet to be eligible as a candidate in an election.

What is franchise?

Franchise may be defined as the right of qualified adult citizens of a given society to vote and be voted for in an election. The voters are constitutionally called the electorate while those seeking to be elected are called candidates.

What are the types of franchise?

There are two types of franchise:

1. Limited or restricted franchise
2. Unlimited or universal franchise (also called universal adult suffrage)

What is limited or restricted franchise?

This is the type of franchise whereby not all qualified adults are allowed to vote or to be voted for. The right to vote is only granted to adults who fulfil certain conditions. The criteria may depend on one’s race, sex, property owned, evidence of payment of taxes, etc.

An example of a country that practised limited franchise is South Africa during Apartheid.

Merits of limited or restricted franchise

1. It allows a few well-informed citizens to vote after a critical scrutiny of the candidates.
2. It seems to be a more mature election than an unlimited franchise.
3. It makes use of more qualified candidates than the universal franchise.
4. It prevents foreigners who do not know much about the candidates from voting.
5. It disallows people of unsound mind, criminals, bankrupts, etc. from voting.
6. It reduces the rate of election violence.
7. It makes taxpayers watch how their representatives use their tax money.

Demerits of limited or restricted franchise

1. It does not give all qualified adults an equal chance to vote.
2. It is prone to corruption because the few people allowed to vote can all be bribed.
3. Those elected do not reflect popular choice.
4. It is less democratic.
5. The majority of citizens do not show interest in the affairs of the government since they are not allowed to vote.
6. Many eligible voters do not know their representatives.
7. The representatives seem to be imposed on the majority of the citizens.

What is unlimited franchise or universal adult suffrage?

This is the type of franchise that allows all qualified men and women adults to vote and be voted for. It is the most popular form of franchise, and it is constitutional and democratic.

There are still some qualifications to be met before a person can vote, but they are not as restrictive as in the limited franchise. Some of the criteria for voting are age, citizenship, registration, sanity, bankruptcy and residence.

Merits of unlimited franchise or universal adult suffrage

1. It gives qualified adults equality of votes.
2. It creates the opportunity for many citizens to participate fully in their electoral system.
3. It is a more democratic election.
4. It avoids discrimination based on sex, race, religion, etc.
5. It makes for a stable government because the participation of the majority of citizens in the election of their representatives reduces ill feelings and revolts.
6. It makes the majority of citizens take an interest in the affairs of the government of their country.
7. Representatives elected through universal adult suffrage reflect popular choice.
8. It widens the voter base.

Demerits of unlimited franchise or universal adult suffrage

1. It emphasises quantity rather than quality of votes.
2. Many of the adult voters allowed to vote are illiterates who vote blindly.
3. The involvement of many people in the voting encourages violent polling.
4. It encourages the election of many unqualified representatives, so the government may seem mediocre in outlook.
5. It brings about victimisation and intimidation of political opponents.
6. It produces electoral malpractices because many people are involved in voting.

What are the types of suffrage?

1. Adult suffrage: All qualified adults, men and women, are allowed to vote.
2. Male suffrage: Only adult males are allowed to vote.
3. Taxpayers’ suffrage: Only those who have been paying their taxes regularly can vote.
4. Property suffrage: Only those with large assets and wealth are allowed to vote.

What conditions must a candidate meet to contest an election?

1. Age: A person wishing to contest an election must be up to the minimum age stipulated in the constitution. For example, in Nigeria, a person wishing to contest the presidential election must be at least 35 years of age.
2. Residential qualification: The individual must have lived in the country for the number of years or months spelt out in the constitution of the country.
3. Payment of tax: He or she must be ready to provide evidence of payment of tax for at least some years.
4. Payment of election deposit: A specified sum of money must be paid by those wishing to contest an election.
5. No criminal record: The person must not be an ex-convict, must not have been found guilty of any criminal offence and must not be serving any form of imprisonment.
6. Sanity: The candidate must be of sound mind.
7. Citizenship: In many modern democratic countries, only citizens are qualified to contest elections.
8. Education: In most countries, a certain level of education is a criterion for eligibility as a candidate.
9. Filling in the nomination paper: A person wishing to contest an election must fill in his or her nomination paper at the stipulated time, supported by a specified number of persons.
10. Not banned: In a country like Nigeria, banned former politicians are not qualified to contest elections.

Evaluation

1. Define franchise and state the difference between the electorate and candidates.
2. State the two types of franchise.
3. Give three demerits of limited franchise.
4. Name the four types of suffrage.
5. List five conditions a person must meet to be eligible as a candidate in an election.

Assignment

1. Define unlimited franchise.
2. State 5 merits of unlimited franchise.
3. Highlight 5 disadvantages of limited franchise.
4. State 5 demerits of unlimited franchise.
5. Mention 5 features of representative government.
6. What are the conditions necessary for representative government?