Canadian Kids Are Going To Court To Get The Voting Age In Canada Lowered From 18

A bunch of Canadian kids are trying to get the voting age in Canada for federal elections lowered from 18 years old by going to court.

On December 1, it was announced that a group of 13 Canadian children and youth ranging in age from 12 to 18 years old have filed an application at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to challenge the voting age in Canada.

They're arguing that the Canada Elections Act violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and is unconstitutional.

The court challenge alleges that the violations are of Section 3, which states that all Canadian citizens have a right to vote in federal and provincial or territorial elections, and Section 15, which states that everyone is equal without discrimination based on age.

Currently, citizens 18 years of age and older are allowed to vote in federal elections.

While there were no details about what age the group would like the voting age to be lowered to, the announcement cited other countries that have voting ages of 16, including Argentina, Austria, Brazil and Germany.

According to Elections Canada, the right to vote in federal elections was initially restricted to men over the age of 21 who met certain qualifications. Then in 1918, that right was extended to include all women 21 years of age and older.

There was a revision to the Canada Elections Act in 1970 that lowered the voting age in federal elections from 21 to 18.

During the 2021 federal election, students in Canada held their own vote. The Liberals won a minority in that as well, but the NDP came in second place instead of the Conservatives.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.