why is the voting age 18 in canada

In Canada today, voting in federal elections is a right enshrined in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms for citizens 18 years and older. From 1993 to 2019, in practice only those citizens 18 years of age or older who reside in Canada or have been abroad for fewer than five years could vote in federal elections. The NDP says more, and has included lowering the voting age to 16 in the party’s campaign platform. Since 1970, all Canadian citizens who were over the age of 18 have been allowed to vote in upcoming Canadian elections. Here's a look at the history and the recent push by some to lower the voting age to 16. WHY! The Green Party and the NDP have floated the idea of lowering Canada’s voting age from 18 to 16. Increasing voting behaviour as people age is also noted by Elections B.C., which reports the percentage of those registered to vote to those who do. Five reasons why we should lower Canada’s voting age. The draft age was 18. The voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in Australia in 1973. Around the world, the number of countries that have a minimum voting age requirement of 18 years old is voluminous. As a result, 18 became the majority when it came to minimum voting age by the end of the 20th century. Shutterstock February 2, 2018 This reform was flagged in 2007 when the Abe government passed its Law in relation to a procedure for amending the Japanese Constitution. However, May states that having the voting age limited at 18 cuts off an important generation of voters who are concerned about their futures. Like Reply. The voting age was legislatively lowered to 18 years in 2014 for national referendums held after June 2018. In 2013, when Takoma Park, Maryland, lowered its voting age to 16, registered voters under 18 had a turnout rate four times higher than voters over 18. The U.S. is not trying to set a precedent through the debate to lower the voting age. Recently MPs have been debating whether or not the voting age, currently at 18, should be reduced to 16. People under the age of 18 will not weigh the facts. These milestones should influence the legal age boundaries for voting, buying guns and being put to death. Some commentators argue that the amendments and lowering of the voting age must also be read in the context of the Abe government’s push to … The Labour party and the Liberal Democrats are in favour of lowering the voting age, but the Conservatives are opposed. Here are the pros and cons of lowering the voting age that we provided in the survey. The actions of the Amendment allowed the voting age to be reduced from 21 to 18. 0. Though 18 is the voting age in the U.S., there are a lot of little deviations the states make. 16 and 17 year olds are just as capable as adults in voting, letting them vote would positively affect the voting field in numerous ways, and they are faced many responsibilities similar to adults’. As certain municipalities and states debate the merits of having teens as young as 16 be able to vote, the pros and cons of lowering the voting age have become a nationwide debate in the United States. The military began drafting young men to fight in an unpopular war. Opinions; Five reasons why we should lower Canada’s voting age . In my opinion voting age should be 18 years, because at that age, a human being is able to decide rationally what is good and what is wrong. However, it feels like political divisions between the age cohorts are entrenching; from the February 2020 Irish election, to Corbyn-supporters and Brexit voters in the UK, to Trump-supporters in the US, age is often a determinant of political beliefs. As an example of how different the times were, British subjects (who weren't also Canadian citizens) had the right to vote. Other countries to follow suit were Canada, Australia and France. As far as the voting age was concerned, America seemed fine with 21 until the turbulent 1960s. The draft age was 18. Canada lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 back in 1970. Arguments for lowering the voting age. In 1969, the UK was the first country to reduce its voting age to 18, followed by the United States (1971), Canada, West Germany (1972), Australia (1974), and France (1974) In 1984 Nicaragua became the first country to lower the voting age further, to 16, followed by Brazil in 1988 (for employed citizens). In a new book chapter we assess the impact of this policy proposal in Austria, where the general voting age was lowered from 18 to 16 more than a decade ago, in 2007. One of the Whitlam government’s first legislative acts was to introduce a bill to lower the voting age from 21 to 18. To this day, there are still debates in certain countries on whether or not they should lower the voting age to 18. Youngest Voting Age. Statistics show that voter turnout increases with age, even within the 18-24 category. The voting age should be lowered to allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote. The argument for this was if 18 year olds are old enough to fight in war, they should be able to vote. The problem is not going away. By. Furthermore, 18 is for many countries the age at which an individual can legally be prosecuted as an adult for criminal offences. Many 16 year olds can drive, hold a job and pay taxes and thus should have a say in government . The Supreme Court ruled in 1970 that Congress could lower the federal voting age, but it did not have the power to set the voting age for local or state elections. [dropcap]I[/dropcap]n a recent Peak article titled “5 reasons why we should lower Canada’s voting age, ” while Ms. Tamara Connor was correct to state that there isn’t a magic age of preparedness for voting, this isn’t a proper reason to lower the voting age, but rather more a reason to increase voter education, so young people do eventually feel prepared. Many others soon followed as well. That’s why the 26th Amendment was proposed in the first place. It would help develop a habit at an earlier age when they are still at home and in school, increasing the likelihood they would continue to vote later in life. That's rediculous the people who say yes must really badly want to vote! Canada’s elections chief says lowering the legal voting age from 18 to 16 is an idea “worth considering,” but some critics aren’t convinced it’s a good idea. In one study published in The Lancet (“The age of adolescence,” by Sawyer, et al. The Amendment was ratified in just four months, which was the shortest period of any in history. Acting chief electoral officer Stéphane Perrault tells CBC News it’s a move that would get young Canadians more engaged in the political process, possibly stoking a interest that will exist throughout their lives. The 2019 version of this is if 16 year olds pay tax, they should have a say in where that tax goes. The long debate over lowering the voting age in America from 21 to 18 began during World War II, and began becoming more intense during the Vietnam War. Votes for 16 protest in London, 2016. As far as the voting age was concerned, America seemed fine with 21 until the turbulent 1960s. For this, we rely on records from electoral lists as well as large-sample survey data by the 2013 and 2017 Austrian National Election Study (AUTNES) to compare 16- and 17-year-olds to cohorts of older voters. A person under the age of 18 would very easily go for the candidate that has the best hair or best suit or best looking. As far as the voting age was concerned, America seemed fine with 21 until the turbulent 1960s. That is why some people want to change the way voting works. Seriously! The Voting Rights Act of 1970 lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Hence, the 26 th Amendment was made, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18. But it wasn’t always like that. As HuffPost Canada’s politics editor Ryan Maloney explains, that might not be such a bad thing. 1. So why in the world would I want the voting age to drop down from 18 to 16! Our 1973 Constitution followed suit. Pro 3 At age 16, people should have a voice in the laws that affect their lives and a stake in the future of their country. The lowest voting age is 18-year-old but an exception to the rule is that 16-year-olds who are employed can also vote. Tamara Connor - February 15, 2016. The draft age was 18. Report Post. This all started with president Franklin D. Roosevelt. Prior to that date, the voting age had been 21 in a majority of the states, even though 18 year olds were old enough to get married, work, and were expected to pay taxes as others adults did. If the voting age would be lowered in Canada from 18 to 16 then it will not only help the youth population to choose a right person as a prime minister for country but it will also give them a right to raise their voice regarding to what other benefits should be provided to adolescents of their age. The Minister for Services and Property, Fred Daly, introduced the Commonwealth Electoral Bill 1973 at 3.30pm on February 28, 1973. The military began drafting young men to fight in an unpopular war. In Japan, for instance, the minimum voting age is 20. It was debated and passed in both houses over the next two weeks, receiving bipartisan support. Here's a look at the history and the recent push by some to lower the voting age to 16. 16 and 17 year olds are just as qualified to vote as adults are. Masterchief2fg. So if those trends are any indication, 16-year-olds would likely have the worst showing of all. The military began drafting young men to fight in an unpopular war. In Canada’s early years, only men who were property owners and more than 21 years of age could vote. This makes sense, given that the party does better with younger people than with older ones. However, there are certain rules and exceptions to this, in a country like Bosnia and Herzegovina, for instance. But economic, social, cultural, and security developments have made it such that perhaps the magic number 18 should be reexamined. And if 16 year olds work, they pay tax. Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Williams, has brought up the debate, stating that it would enable 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1970 lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Green Party leader Elizabeth May has tabled a bill to change Canada Voting age to 16. And again in Hyattsville, Maryland (the second place in the U.S. to lower the voting age to 16), registered 16- and 17-year-old voters had a higher turnout out rate than older voters. , the number of countries that have a say in where that goes. Perhaps the magic number 18 should be able to vote in upcoming elections! Age is 20 Japanese Constitution Canadian elections younger people than with older ones in Canada ’ s legislative! Are the pros and cons of lowering the voting age, but the Conservatives opposed., currently at 18, should be reduced from 21 to 18 in upcoming Canadian.. Minister for Services and property, Fred Daly, introduced the Commonwealth Electoral bill 1973 at 3.30pm on 28! 16-Year-Olds who are employed can also vote owners and more than 21 years of age could.. 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