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Field Listing :: Suffrage |
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This entry gives the age at enfranchisement and whether the right to vote is universal or restricted. |
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Angola
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18 years of age; universal
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Argentina
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18-70 years of age; universal and compulsory; 16-17 years of age - optional
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Aruba
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18 years of age; universal
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Australia
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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Austria
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16 years of age; universal; note - reduced from 18 years of age in 2007
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Bahrain
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20 years of age; universal; note - Bahraini Cabinet in May 2011 endorsed a draft law lowering eligibility to 18 years
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Belgium
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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Belize
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18 years of age; universal
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Benin
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18 years of age; universal
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Bhutan
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18 years of age; universal
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Bolivia
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18 years of age, universal and compulsory
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Brazil
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voluntary between 16 to under 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory 18 to 70 years of age; note - military conscripts do not vote by law
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Brunei
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18 years of age for village elections; universal
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Burma
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18 years of age; universal
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Canada
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18 years of age; universal
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Chad
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18 years of age; universal
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Chile
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18 years of age; universal and voluntary
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China
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18 years of age; universal
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Costa Rica
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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Croatia
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18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal
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Cuba
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16 years of age; universal
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Cyprus
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18 years of age; universal
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Dominican Republic
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18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age can vote; note - members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote by law
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Ecuador
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18-65 years of age, universal and compulsory; 16-18, over 65, and other eligible voters, optional
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Egypt
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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Estonia
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18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens
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European Union
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18 years of age; universal; voting for the European Parliament is permitted in each member state
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Fiji
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21 years of age; universal
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France
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18 years of age; universal
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Gabon
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18 years of age; universal
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Ghana
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18 years of age; universal
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Gibraltar
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18 years of age; universal; and British citizens who have been residents six months or more
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Greece
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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Guam
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18 years of age; universal; note - Guamanians are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
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Guatemala
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18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of the armed forces and police may not vote by law and are restricted to their barracks on election day
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Guinea
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18 years of age; universal
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Guyana
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18 years of age; universal
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Haiti
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18 years of age; universal
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Honduras
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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Hong Kong
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18 years of age in direct elections for half the legislature and a majority of seats in 18 district councils; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; note - in indirect elections, suffrage is limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies for the other half of the legislature and an 1,200-member election committee for the chief executive drawn from broad sectoral groupings, central government bodies, municipal organizations, and elected Hong Kong officials
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Hungary
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18 years of age, 16 if married; universal
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India
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18 years of age; universal
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Indonesia
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17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age
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Iran
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18 years of age; universal
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Iraq
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18 years of age; universal
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Israel
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18 years of age; universal
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Italy
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18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)
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Japan
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20 years of age; universal
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Jersey
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16 years of age; universal
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Jordan
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18 years of age; universal
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Kenya
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18 years of age; universal
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Kosovo
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18 years of age; universal
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Kuwait
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21 years of age; universal; note - males in the military or police are by law not allowed to vote; all voters must have been citizens for 20 years
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Laos
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18 years of age; universal
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Latvia
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18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens
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Lebanon
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21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education; excludes military personnel
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Libya
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18 years of age, universal
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Luxembourg
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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Macau
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18 years of age in direct elections for some legislative positions, universal for permanent residents living in Macau for the past seven years; note - indirect elections are limited to organizations registered as "corporate voters" (973 were registered in the 2009 legislative elections) and a 300-member Election Committee for the Chief Executive (CE) drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, central government bodies, and elected Macau officials
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Malawi
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18 years of age; universal
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Mali
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18 years of age; universal
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Malta
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18 years of age; universal
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Mexico
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory (but not enforced)
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Monaco
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18 years of age; universal
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Montenegro
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18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal
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Nauru
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20 years of age; universal and compulsory
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Nepal
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18 years of age; universal
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Niger
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18 years of age; universal
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Niue
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18 years of age; universal
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Northern Mariana Islands
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18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
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Norway
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18 years of age; universal
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Oman
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21 years of age; universal; note - members of the military and security forces by law are not allowed to vote
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Pakistan
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18 years of age; universal; note - there are joint electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims
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Palau
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18 years of age; universal
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Panama
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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Paraguay
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 75
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Peru
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70
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Poland
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18 years of age; universal
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Puerto Rico
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18 years of age; universal; note - island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
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Qatar
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18 years of age; universal
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Russia
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18 years of age; universal
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Rwanda
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18 years of age; universal
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Samoa
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21 years of age; universal
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Serbia
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18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal
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Singapore
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21 years of age; universal and compulsory
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Slovenia
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18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal
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Spain
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18 years of age; universal
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Sudan
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17 years of age; universal
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Sweden
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18 years of age; universal
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Syria
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18 years of age; universal
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Taiwan
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20 years of age; universal
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Thailand
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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Togo
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18 years of age; universal
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Tonga
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21 years of age; universal
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Tunisia
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18 years of age; universal except for active government security forces (including the police and the military), people with mental disabilities, people who have served more than three months in prison (criminal cases only), and people given a suspended sentence of more than six months
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Turkey
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18 years of age; universal
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Tuvalu
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18 years of age; universal
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Uganda
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18 years of age; universal
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United Arab Emirates
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limited; note - rulers of the seven Emirates each select a proportion of voters for the Federal National Council (FNC) that together account for about 12 percent of the native Emirati population
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Uruguay
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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Virgin Islands
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18 years of age; universal; note - island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
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Western Sahara
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none; (residents of Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara participate in Moroccan elections)
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Yemen
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18 years of age; universal
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Zambia
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18 years of age; universal
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