Vote 16 Act

Summary#

The Vote 16 Act is a proposed bill that would amend the Canada Elections Act and the referendum regulation made under it. Its main change is to qualify Canadian citizens aged 16 or older to vote in federal elections and referendums; its stated goal is to extend voting rights to citizens aged 16 and 17.

• The bill would lower the voting age from 18 to 16, based on a person’s age on polling day.
• It would change the definition of “future elector” from a citizen aged 14 to under 18 to a citizen aged 14 or 15. The bill does not itself set out what other rules apply to future electors.
• It would change the rule against knowingly voting or encouraging someone to vote when they are underage: the age threshold would become under 16 instead of under 18.
• It would remove the current exception that allows appointed election officers to be under 18, provided they are at least 16. The supplied material does not include the main age rule this exception sits within.
• At regulated fundraising events, the age-based rule that keeps attendees’ names and location details out of a party’s report would apply to people under 16 instead of people under 18.
• It would make related changes to the solemn declaration used to prove eligibility to vote.

What it means for you#

• Canadian citizens aged 16 and 17: If the bill became law, you would qualify to vote in federal elections and referendums if you were at least 16 on polling day.
• People aged 14 or 15: The bill would call you a “future elector,” rather than including you in that definition up to age 17. It does not explain what practical effects that change would have.
• Election officers aged 16 or 17: The bill would remove the specific exception allowing appointed officers in this age group to serve. The supplied material does not show whether another rule could still allow them to serve.
• People attending regulated party fundraising events: Attendees aged 16 or 17 would no longer be covered by the age-based exclusion for names and location details in party reports. The supplied material does not describe any other privacy rules that may apply.
• Other people and businesses: The bill does not directly change taxes, fees, benefits, or general voting eligibility for people aged 18 or older.

Money#

No cost information is in the supplied material.

• The bill requires no stated spending amount and sets no fee or tax.
• It does not say whether Elections Canada would need more staff or other resources, or what that would cost.
• It would start six months after royal assent, unless the Chief Electoral Officer publishes a notice sooner saying preparations are complete. The notice could bring the whole Act or a specified provision into force.

What is unclear#

• The bill does not set out changes to voter registration, public information, or other practical steps for 16- and 17-year-olds.
• It does not explain how changing the “future elector” definition would affect other provisions that use the term.
• The supplied material does not include the main rule on election officers’ age, so the exact effect of repealing the under-18 exception cannot be confirmed.
• It is unclear what other privacy protections, if any, would apply to fundraising-event attendees aged 16 and 17.
• No publicly available information on implementation costs or staffing is included in the supplied material.

Case for#

• A possible argument for the bill is that citizens aged 16 and 17 would have a formal vote in federal elections and referendums, rather than waiting until 18.
• The bill uses the same age threshold for election and referendum voting.
• Lowering the age threshold in the rule against illegal voting would align that rule with the proposed voting age.

Case against#

• One concern is that the bill changes who can vote but does not explain how registration or voter information would work for newly eligible voters.
• The bill removes an age-based reporting exclusion for fundraising-event attendees aged 16 and 17. The supplied material does not explain what other privacy protections would apply.
• The bill would also remove the specific exception allowing appointed election officers aged 16 and 17, without providing the surrounding age rule needed to confirm the full effect.
• The bill does not provide a cost estimate or explain what preparations would be needed to put the changes into effect.