Chamber
senate
Stage
2nd Reading
Introduced
May 29, 2025
Progress
This bill would lower the voting age in Canadian federal elections and referendums from 18 to 16.
Key Changes
- Lowers the federal voting age from 18 to 16 for elections and referendums
- Redefines 'future elector' (young people who can pre-register) as those who are 14 or 15 years old, instead of 14 to 17
- Updates the rules about who commits an offence by voting illegally, changing the age threshold from 18 to 16
- Updates privacy protections so that attendees under 16 (instead of under 18) at political fundraising events do not have their names published
- Applies the same voting age change to referendums held under federal law
- Takes effect six months after royal assent, or sooner if Elections Canada confirms it is ready
Gotchas
- The bill removes a specific provision (subsection 22(5)) that currently allows election workers to be as young as 16. Since 16-year-olds would now be full electors, this separate carve-out may no longer be needed, but the removal is not explicitly explained in the bill.
- Privacy protection at political fundraising events currently shields attendees under 18 from having their names published. If this bill passes, only those under 16 would receive that protection, meaning 16 and 17-year-olds' attendance at fundraising events could become public record.
- The bill comes into force six months after royal assent unless Elections Canada publishes a notice in the Canada Gazette saying it is ready sooner, giving the agency some flexibility in implementation timing.
- This is a Senate public bill, meaning it was introduced by a senator rather than the government. Senate public bills face a longer and less certain path to becoming law than government bills.
- The bill does not address other age-related eligibility requirements, such as the age to run as a candidate for office, which remains unchanged at 18.
Who's Affected
- Canadian citizens aged 16 and 17, who would gain the right to vote
- Canadian citizens aged 14 and 15, who would now be eligible to pre-register as future electors
- Elections Canada, which must update systems and processes to implement the change
- Political parties and candidates, who would need to engage a new group of eligible voters
- Attendees aged 16 or 17 at political fundraising events, whose privacy protections would change
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The bill removes a specific provision (subsection 22(5)) that currently allows election workers to be as young as 16. Since 16-year-olds would now be full electors, this separate carve-out may no longer be needed, but the removal is not explicitly explained in the bill.
- Privacy protection at political fundraising events currently shields attendees under 18 from having their names published. If this bill passes, only those under 16 would receive that protection, meaning 16 and 17-year-olds' attendance at fundraising events could become public record.
- The bill comes into force six months after royal assent unless Elections Canada publishes a notice in the Canada Gazette saying it is ready sooner, giving the agency some flexibility in implementation timing.
- This is a Senate public bill, meaning it was introduced by a senator rather than the government. Senate public bills face a longer and less certain path to becoming law than government bills.
- The bill does not address other age-related eligibility requirements, such as the age to run as a candidate for office, which remains unchanged at 18.
Summary
Bill S-222, called the Vote 16 Act, was introduced in the Senate on May 29, 2025 by Senator McPhedran. It would change the Canada Elections Act so that Canadian citizens who are 16 or 17 years old can vote in federal elections and referendums, just like adults 18 and older currently can. Right now, you must be 18 years old on election day to vote in a federal election. This bill would lower that age to 16. It also updates related rules, such as who counts as a 'future elector' (pre-registered young people), who can legally vote, and privacy protections around fundraising event attendees. The bill was introduced to give younger Canadians a voice in decisions that will affect their futures. Several other countries and some Canadian provinces already allow 16-year-olds to vote in certain elections.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses
Recorded Votes
| Date | Description | Yeas | Nays | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 21, 2026 | Vote 16 Act – S-222 – Second Reading | 33 | 36 | Defeated |