Councillor Alex Hilson
The Vote16 Motion would voice Halton Hill’s support for youth voting rights!
This motion would present politicians with mountains of evidence supporting this policy, including from disciplines of cognitive science, political science, and human rights law.
You can help by emailing your councillor a short message of support for the motion.
Our Supporters
Why Extend Voting Rights to 16-17s?
Generational Fairness
The median age of the population is creeping ever upwards. Unless we take action, the voices of young people will increasingly be drowned out in civic life.
They are Ready
16- and 17-year-old are mature, informed and ready to exercise the right to vote. The cognitive ability to make informed decisions around voting—called “cold cognition”—reaches maturity by 16.
Youth Issues Deserve Attention
Youth unemployment is on the rise across Ontario, and young people are losing access to full-time jobs. Young people’s physical and mental health are on the decline. Stress is up, and life satisfaction is down. 38% of teenage students in Ontario reported fair or poor mental health.
Strengthen Voter Turnout
According to the Chief Electoral Officer of the Northwest Territories, “In the jurisdictions where they have lowered the voting age, what they've found is that 16- and 17-year-olds vote at a higher rate than 18- to 24-year-olds… but they’re also more likely to vote in the next election, and the one after that.”
