Canadian Senator Urges Lowering Voting Age to 16 Following U.K. Reform

A Canadian senator is calling for Canada to follow the United Kingdom’s lead in lowering the federal voting age from 18 to 16, arguing it’s time for the country to take progressive action to engage youth in democracy.

The U.K. government recently pledged to reduce its voting age to 16 ahead of its next general election — a move aimed at restoring public trust and strengthening democratic participation. In response, Canadian Senator Marilou McPhedran has renewed her call for Canada to make a similar change.

McPhedran, who has made this issue her top parliamentary priority since entering the Senate, argues that extending voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds is fair and overdue. She points out that many 16-year-olds are already employed and paying taxes and deserve a say in the decisions that will shape their futures.

She dismisses the opposition as being rooted in outdated stereotypes, noting that younger generations are just as capable of making informed political choices as older voters. “This is about fairness and inclusion,” McPhedran said, adding that her latest bill, introduced in May, aims to bring the issue to second reading and committee when Parliament resumes in September.

In 2021, young Canadians filed a legal challenge at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, arguing that the current voting age violates their Charter rights. Several provinces and municipalities are also exploring reforms. Toronto, for example, has already passed a motion allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in local planning and policy-related decisions.

Sixteen-year-old Jaden Braves, founder of Young Politicians of Canada, also supports the initiative. He says Canada must stop waiting for other countries to lead and take its own steps to modernize democratic participation. “We need to stop living in the shadow of other countries’ innovation,” he said.

While the U.K. was among the first to lower its voting age from 21 to 18 in 1969, countries like Austria, Brazil, and Ecuador already allow 16-year-olds to vote in national elections. Scotland and Wales permit voting at age 16 in local and regional elections.

Michael Wigginton, a political science researcher at Carleton University, believes the U.K.’s decision will spark more serious debate in Canada and could encourage provinces to act first. “The U.K.’s move will push this issue into the spotlight and raise its chances in Canada,” Wigginton said.

He believes change is most likely to begin at the provincial level before being adopted federally.