Three initiatives aimed at lowering the voting age in Canadian federal elections are reigniting conversations about youth enfranchisement.
A group of young people is , claiming that disenfranchisement of those under 18 is unconstitutional.
NDP MP Taylor Bachrach has introduced a to lower the voting age to 16. The first reading in the House of Commons was completed .
A similar act (Bill S-201) to amend Canada’s minimum voting age from 18 to 16 is currently at . introduced a similar bill in 2021 and it passed second reading. But the fall 2021 election put an end to that process.
This is the 11th attempt to lower Canada’s voting age since it was changed from .
jurisdictions in Canada have considered lowering their voting age. So have other countries, including the , and New Zealand.
, ranging from Brazil to Nicaragua, Ecuador, Austria, Estonia and Malta, already have . The has urged its member countries to follow suit.
In Canada, the and publicly support a younger voting age. The federal Conservative, NDP and Liberal parties already allow members as young as 14 to vote in leadership contests.
Proponents of the bills and , and the applicants to the , hope to build on this momentum.
There are four main arguments for lowering the voting age:
1. Youth most affected by today’s pressing issues
Many of the key issues of today — like climate change, environmental degradation, the COVID-19 pandemic and social and racial justice — have serious consequences for young people, now and in the future.
Many leading Canadian and international environmental advocates are under the age of 18. Autumn Peltier, for example, was named at the age of 14 and addressed the United Nations General Assembly at .
Children and young people have disproportionately experienced , of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many young people under the age of 18 are actively involved in social justice movements, including and
Under the UN’s — which is almost universally ratified — children have the right to participate in decisions that affect them.
Lowering the voting age is one way to provide a formal process for decision-making and accountability by elected representatives. In fact, , protected by domestic and international law.
2. Could fuel political engagement
Lowering the age to a time when young people are enrolled in high school could increase and strengthen democracy.
Despite the political consciousness and engagement of children and young people, there is still among young adult voters.
Research across jurisdictions that have introduced under-18 voting indicates that the impact is “.”
3. Would align with other age minimums
The current voting age does not align with the minimum age of many other activities that require maturity and judgment, such as driving, consensual sex and paid work.
Most tellingly, the age of criminal responsibility in Canada is 12 under the .
If children as young as 12 are considered mature enough to be held criminally responsible for their actions, why can’t 16-year-olds vote?
If children can work and pay taxes, why don’t they have a say in how their taxes are spent?
These contradictions highlight adult-centric norms and everyday age discrimination manifested in arbitrary, chronological age cut-offs.
4. Would eradicate ageist assumptions
Ageist assumptions against those under 18 mirror to and .
One such argument is that those under the age of 18 lack the cognitive, emotional and moral maturity to vote. However, suggests that young people have adult-level cognitive capacity by age 16.
Others argue that parents will influence their children’s voting behaviour. But some studies , rather than adults, have greater influence over political behaviour and socialization. Results from Student Vote Canada, while not representative, show different voting outcomes for the 2021 election versus the .
Some might argue that people under the age of 18 to make informed decisions.
However, many Canadian adults also lack basic . Adult voters are not necessarily more informed about policy issues than young people when .
Voting rights in Canada have changed over time to become more inclusive. Challenging age discrimination in Canada’s election system could be the next step in expanding and strengthening our democracy.
Christina Clark-Kazak does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
