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UEF Citizenship and the Franchise

The UEF recognizes two classes of citizenship. Basic citizenship is universal and guarantees all of the rights laid out in the UEF constitution, but notably does not grant the right to vote. In order to earn the franchise, one must become a full Citizen by doing a tour of Service in the UEF armed forces.

Service

Service is always through the UEF armed forces — there is no civilian equivalent. That said, for most individuals Service is not particularly dangerous or military in nature. Earth is more peaceful than not, and while policing carries some risk, the typical enlistee is more likely than not to have a fairly uneventful two-year tour. Many serve in Peacekeeper infrastructure projects, Fleet logistics, or administrative roles far from any conflict.

Franchise Rates

The percentage of the population holding the franchise is relatively low. Culturally, the franchise is not currently highly valued — many people see little reason to interrupt their lives for two years of Service when the UEF functions adequately without their vote. The rate is high enough to maintain military strength and staffing needs, but Citizens remain a minority of the adult population.

Permanence of Citizenship and Franchise

Citizenship and the franchise cannot be revoked. These are bright lines enshrined by the framers of the UEF constitution. Even those convicted of terrible crimes retain their voting rights if they earned them through Service. The founders viewed this permanence as essential to preventing the franchise from becoming a tool of political punishment.

Social Tensions

Tension exists between Citizens and non-Citizens, running in both directions.

Citizens often view non-Citizens as lacking civic responsibility. Having made the sacrifice of Service, they see those who haven't as freeloaders benefiting from a system they refuse to support. This attitude ranges from mild condescension to open disdain.

Non-Citizens have their own criticisms. Some view Citizens as authoritarian-adjacent — people who signed up to follow orders and now believe that qualifies them to make decisions for everyone else. Others see them as bought off, having traded two years for a vote and owing their loyalty to the system that rewarded them. There's also a perception that Citizens are out of touch: those willing and able to pause their lives for Service skew younger, with fewer dependents and particular economic circumstances, making them unrepresentative of ordinary concerns. Some hold a harder line, viewing any participation in the armed forces as morally compromised, regardless of how peaceful the posting.

These tensions often break along generational and regional lines. In some nations and cultures, Service is a proud tradition and Citizens are respected. In others, it's seen as selling out to the UEF, and Citizens may downplay or hide their status.

The People's Chamber and Non-Citizens

Despite the franchise restriction, non-Citizens can be selected to serve in the People's Chamber. This was a deliberate choice by the founders.

The People's Chamber is named for all people, not just those with the franchise. Selection operates like jury duty, drawing from the entire adult population regardless of Citizen status. This ensures the chamber's composition reflects the actual population rather than the voting minority. A non-Citizen serving in the People's Chamber can draft legislation, debate, and vote on bills — they simply cannot vote in elections for other offices.

The founders saw this as essential to the chamber's legitimacy. If the body that does most of the pragmatic legislative work excluded the majority of the population, it would be a legislature of the military class in all but name. Allowing non-Citizens to serve is one of the features that keeps the UEF from becoming a pure stratocracy.