The Execution Department has issued a new Thematic Factsheet on the right to free elections.  This right,  guaranteed under Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights, is crucial to establishing and maintaining the foundations of an effective and meaningful democracy governed by the rule of law and is accordingly of prime importance to the Convention system. Furthermore, the Court has established that the right to free elections also implies individual rights, including the right to vote and to stand for election.

The present factsheet provides examples of general and individual measures reported by States in the context of the execution of the European Court’s judgments concerning: the adoption of legislative measures to ensure voting rights; restrictions on the right to vote; prisoners’ voting rights; electoral registration of candidate members of parliament (MPs) and of political parties; and regulation of electoral disputes including effective remedies.

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