Vote16 in Alberta
2018
Calgary city council approves Vote16 motion
“We really need to engage and involve our young adults in the electoral process. We can improve voter turnout. We can create lifelong voters, studies have shown, if you start at the age of 16 and 17”
~ George Chahal
2016
Edmonton City Council supports #Vote16
Following a request from the Edmonton Youth Council, the City officially endorsed the Vote16 Campaign.
“The youth councillors, first and foremost, demonstrated that young people can have a relevant voice in our democracy by bringing forward a very compelling argument with strong evidence and research that 16-year-olds have sufficient cognitive ability to express informed democratic consent and therefore to vote,”
~ Mayor Don Iveson
2015
MOTION: Association of Alberta Municipalities
“BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Alberta Urban Municipality Association request that the Government of Alberta amend the Local Authorities Election Act to expand the local election franchise to 16 years of age.“ [Motion Defeated]
2001
CBC: Teens want Alberta to lower voting age to 16
“On Wednesday, two Alberta teenagers will be in court challenging the province's voting age. Christine Jairamasingh, 16, and Eryn Fitzgerald, 15, want the court to rule that 16-year-olds should be allowed to vote in the upcoming municipal elections.
"By lowering the voting age, it'll force politicians to include youth issues in their platform, because they tend to get ignored," said the 16-year-old.