REVITALISING CANADIAN DEMOCRACY
In a few weeks, the Senate of Canada will be voting on whether to send bill S-201, the Vote16 Act, to committee. Bringing this bill to committee would present politicians with mountains of evidence supporting this policy, including from disciplines of cognitive science, political science, and human rights law.
To ensure this bill passes, we are building a powerful coalition of organisations who are passionate about youth representation.
Young people are innovative, dedicated, and the key to the future. They deserve to carry that future in their own hands. The vote is going to be close, and a few undecided senators could make the difference if we convince them to vote the right way. We need as many organisations as possible to come together and support youth voting rights.
If you are part of an organisation (advocacy group, non-profit, charity, school club, union, youth advisory group, etc), sign the joint statement calling on the Senate of Canada to amplify youth voices. The statement and its signatories can be found below.
Joint Statement in Support of Extending Federal Voting Rights to 16-Year-Olds.
Today, 50 groups across the country stand together in support of extending voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds. We, the undersigned organisations, call on all Senators to vote in favour of the Vote16 Act.
In the face of domestic and global challenges that are rapidly changing our world, we need to do more to represent the interests of young Canadians. Voting is not merely a privilege—it is a fundamental human right.
The call to extend the voting age is gaining momentum across the country. Taylor Bachrach’s Right to Vote at 16 Act received the most parliamentary and civil society support out of all bills of its kind in Canadian history. Politicians from the Liberal, Bloc Québécois, New Democratic, and Green parties have all endorsed extending the voting age. The evidence for 16-year-olds’ cognitive maturity, political knowledge, and quality of vote choice conclusively demonstrates their electoral competence. New polling shows strong support from Canadian 16- and 17-year-olds, signifying a collective recognition of their own capacity. International experiences in 16 countries dispel all doubts about their ability to make well-informed choices at the ballot box. In light of this evidence, Canada can no longer justify their exclusion from the franchise.
As Canada’s population ages and voter turnout rates continue to decline, the push to extend voting rights becomes increasingly important. What was once a distant dream has now become an actionable policy for a more vibrant democracy. A wave of progress is rising, and parliamentarians can either ride its crest or risk being left in its wake. The Senate committee stage is the best opportunity for Parliament to start this process: listen to the arguments, hear from experts, and consider the evidence.
Sincerely,
350 Canada
Apathy is Boring
Association francophone des parents du Nouveau-Brunswick
BC Teachers’ Federation
Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children
Canadian Federation of Students
Canadian Labour Congress
Canadian Women’s Foundation
Centre for Global Education
Childcare Resource and Research Unit
Children First Canada
Climate Emergency Unit
Conseil jeunesse provincial de la Nouvelle-Écosse
Ecology Action Centre
Engage Barrie Organization
Engage Peel
Equal Power
Fair Vote Canada
Fair Voting BC
For Our Kids Canada
For Our Kids Toronto
Franco-Jeunes de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador
Fridays for Future Ottawa
Generation Squeeze
Grandmothers Act to Save the Planet (GASP)
Leadnow
Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties
New Majority
Operation Black Vote Canada
PEI Coalition for Women in Government
Reverse the Trend
Samara Centre for Democracy
Sierra Club Canada
South End Environmental Injustice Society
Surrey Board of Trade
TakingITGlobal
Toronto Foundation for Youth Involvement in Politics
UNICEF Canada
Unlock Democracy Canada
Vote16 BC
Vote16 Canada
Vote16 Penticton
Vote16 Russell
Vote16 Yukon
West Coast Environmental Law
Young Canadians Roundtable on Health
Young Politicians of Canada
Youth Leaders in Law British Columbia
Youth Ottawa
Youthful Cities