How long has the voting age been 18? Has suffrage been universal for Canadians of voting age?
The voting age was 21 until changes to the Elections Act were introduced in 1970. Among these changes, Canadians aged at least 18 on or before election day became eligible to vote. The first election in which those aged under 21 could vote was in 1972. In the past, other groups were denied voting rights. Women acquired the vote in 1918, the Inuit in 1950, and First Nations people living on reserves in 1960. Inmates were granted the vote in 2002 as the result of a Supreme Court ruling. Will C-261 affect other jurisdictions such as provinces and municipalities? The Canada Elections Act only governs federal elections. Provinces and territories have their own laws governing elections at provincial and municipal levels. Our hope is, however, that these jurisdictions will follow the federal example if this initiative is successful. What is the situation internationally? Although 18 is the voting age in many international jurisdictions, the trend has been to lower the voting age and enlarge t
