Universal suffrage means that every citizen is allowed to vote . Universal suffrage ( also universal adult suffrage , general suffrage or common suffrage ) consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens ( or subjects ) as a whole , though it may also mean extending said right to minors ( Demeny voting ) and non-citizens . Although suffrage has two necessary components , the right to vote and opportunities to vote , the term universal suffrage is associated only with the right to vote and ignores the other aspect , the frequency that an incumbent government consults the electorate .