A group of young Canadians has launched a court challenge to lower Canada’s minimum age for voting in federal elections.
On Tuesday, 13 young people from across the country, ranging in age from 12 to 18, filed an application at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice arguing that the section of the Canada Elections Act which bars Canadians under 18 from voting in federal elections is unconstitutional.
The group is making the argument that the rule violates two sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms: Section 3, which states that “every citizen of Canada” has the right to vote in an election for members of the House of Commons or a legislative assembly; and Section 15, which states that “every individual is equal before and under the law.”
