🍁 civid v1

Purpose and status

• Bill S-222 would lower the voting age for Canadian citizens from 18 to 16 in federal elections and referendums.
• It was introduced in the Senate and given first reading on May 29, 2025.

Canada Elections Act changes

• Qualifies Canadian citizens aged 16 or older on polling day as electors.
• Changes the definition of “future elector” to cover Canadian citizens aged 14 or 15, rather than those aged 14 through 17.
• Changes other age thresholds in the Act to 16, including thresholds concerning eligibility on polling day and age on the day of an event.
• Repeals subsection 22(5) of the Act. The provided text does not describe what that subsection currently does.

Referendums

• Changes the referendum regulation so that Canadian citizens aged 16 or older on polling day are qualified as electors.

Coming into force

• The Act would generally take effect six months after royal assent.
• The Chief Electoral Officer could bring the whole Act or specified provisions into force earlier by publishing a notice in the Canada Gazette that the necessary preparations have been made.