For Immediate Release: October 15, 2024

Councillor Dianne Saxe, community groups call for more youth civic opportunities in Toronto.

Supported by youth advocates and community organizations, Councillor Dianne Saxe has introduced a motion to change the minimum age to participate in neighbourhood polls to 16.

The motion has garnered endorsements from several prominent organizations, including Vote16 Toronto, Young Politicians of Canada, TTCriders, For Our Kids Toronto, the Ranked Ballot Initiative of Toronto, Youthful Cities, and the Toronto Foundation for Youth Involvement in Politics.

“Changing the minimum age to participate in neighbourhood polls will boost voter turnout by allowing young people to cast their first votes in a familiar and supportive environment provided by their schools and families. By the time they reach 18 and vote in full elections, they will have more confidence in the process. Research confirms that people who vote at the first opportunity are more likely to become lifelong voters.” – Councillor Dianne Saxe

“As more places around the world extend voting rights to 16-17s, the arguments against doing so ourselves increasingly fall down. The idea that 16-year-olds are not mature enough has been knocked down time and again. Passing this motion is a first step to presenting politicians with the overwhelming evidence that Canada’s young people are capable, informed and engaged enough to vote.” – Aleksi Toiviainen, Co-Chair of Vote16 Toronto

“Young people in Canada deserve a say in who makes the decisions that define our future, bottom line. They are confronted with a system that reflects a significant lack of generational justice, having been largely excluded from crucial discussions. This motion represents a vital opportunity to empower young voices and ensure their perspectives shape the future.” – Jaden Braves (age 16), CEO of the Young Politicians of Canada

Councillors will vote on MM22.6 at the next meeting of the City Council in November.

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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Andrew Greene, Office of Councillor Dianne Saxe | Andrew.Greene@toronto.ca

Aleksi Toiviainen, Vote16 Toronto | aleksi@vote16.ca

Jaden Braves, Young Politicians of Canada | jaden@youngpoliticians.org

Councillor Saxe’s motion MM22.6, “Extending Voting Opportunities in City Polls to 16- and 17-Year-Olds” is available here.