Voting, History of

Voting is the act of declaring a choice among a number of alternative options in the process of reaching a group decision on a particular matter. In politics, this mostly concerns the selection of a person for a specific position, such as a mayor or a member of parliament. The right to vote in elections is widely considered the most fundamental political right of citizens. This entry discusses the historical development of two important elements of voting, namely who is entitled to cast a vote (voting rights) and the procedure that is employed for declaring a choice (voting methods).