 Voting is regarded as key to representative democracy , which requires that the leaders of a country are elected by the people . The basis of this concept is that everyone should be treated equally and everyone has equal rights . Every person , therefore , has a right to one vote , and no more , in the choice of representatives . The right to vote is a primary right , a right of fundamental importance by which other rights are protected . It is one of the important bulwarks of a representative democracy and in this regard , the ballot box is the people 's ultimate mechanism to control the shaping of government policies . However , it must be recognized that voting is not an infallible litmus test for democracy ; rather , it functions as a procedural device that is normally regarded as the best instrument for securing the ideal of self @-@ governance . 
