Suffrage in Meriad

Suffrage in Meriad refers to the right to vote (usually referred to as franchise) for people living in Meriad, including all its 21 component regions, as well as local councils. Meriad began to grant universal male suffrage in 1794, and women's suffrage followed between the 1840s and 1850s. Today, the right to vote at national, state and local levels of government is enjoyed by all citizens of Meriad over the age of 18 years. Upon turning 18, all Meriadni citizens who permanently reside within Meriad are automatically registered to vote.

History
With the passage of the Constitution of Meriad in 1763, there was no specifications as to how voting rights were to be determined. At the time, the only major elected positions were the office of the Prime Minister and representatives in the Hall of Jarls. As no voting standards were set by the document, areas entitled to representation in the Hall of Jarls selected representatives in a variety of manners, ranging from voting by all males (in Kjelmoen) to selection from major figures via (in Fjallsmi). Once elected, these representatives convened in Járnfjördur and proceeded to pass the Voting Act of 1964, which mandated that requirements for voting be determined by the regions, not by the national government. The law was repealed in 1793 as a result of discrimination in several administrative regions against native Meriadnir tribes.

Following the repeal of the Voting Act of 1764, the Hall of Jarls passed new legislation that granted universal male suffrage, regardless of race and socioeconomic status. This afforded significantly increased rights to native Meriadni groups, who were primarily concentrated in north-west Meriad.

In 1857, following intense protesting by women over their lack of suffrage, the Hall of Jarls passed the Universal Voting Act of 1837, which granted universal voting rights to all Meriadni citizens.

In 1992, the High Court case Nordhus, Rinde, et. al v Salmonsen established that the right to vote, as granted in the Meriadni constitution and further defined in the Suffrage Act of 1951, is a fundamental human right, and may not be denied in any way for any reason. As a result of this ruling, incarcerated citizens, regardless of the severity of their crimes, were granted the right to vote via absentee ballot.

Restrictions
Since the passage of the Universal Voting Act of 1857, several franchise laws have been passed by the Hall of Jarls, mainly governing voting by individuals with dual citizenship. According to these laws, there are still several groups of people who are not entitled to vote in certain elections.

Individuals who hold dual citizenship in Meriad and another nation are only permitted to vote on national elections if they reside in Meriad for at least six months in one year prior to the election in which they wish to vote. Those with dual citizenship may vote on local elections if they reside in Meriad for at least two months of the year prior to the an election in which they wish to vote.

Minors convicted of a violent crime are restricted from voting in any election, local or national, until they reach twenty-one years of age, with the option of additional restrictions open to a judge.