C-210Right to Vote at 16 Act
An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (voting age)
Private member's bill, introduced in the House of Commons on December 13, 2021
- Status
- Defeated at second reading in the House of Commons
What it does
Lowers the federal voting age in Canada from 18 to 16 and updates election rules for younger voters.
What it does
- Lowers the voting age in the Canada Elections Act, so Canadian citizens who are 16 or older on polling day can vote federally.
- Redefines “future elector” as a Canadian citizen who is 14 or 15 years old.
- Repeals subsection 22(5) of the Canada Elections Act.
- Updates rules in sections 281.3 and 549.1 so they refer to people who are 16 or older, or will be 16, on polling day.
Who it affects
- Canadian citizens age 16 and 17
- Younger Canadian citizens age 14 and 15
- Elections Canada
- Federal election administrators
Background
The bill amends the Canada Elections Act. Its stated purpose is to lower the federal voting age in Canada from 18 to 16 years of age.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Defeated here. Defeated
Committee
Not reached.
Report stage
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Senate
First reading
Not reached.
Second reading
Not reached.
Committee
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Not reached.
Introduced by an MP who is not a minister. These bills compete in a lottery for debate time, and most do not become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
2nd reading of Bill C-210, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (voting age)
Vote 179,
Failed
77 yeato246 nay · 6 paired
Party breakdown for vote 179 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Nay20 broke ranks 20 130 8 Conservative Nay 0 114 4 Bloc Yea 31 0 1 NDP Yea 24 0 1 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Nay 0 2 0 Total 77 246
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalKevin Lamoureux· May 4, 2022
“It is always interesting to debate the parliamentary process and the pillars of democracy, and elections are obviously one of them. Back in the early 1990s, I belonged to a relatively small caucus in the Manitoba legislature as an MLA.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeTom Kmiec· May 4, 2022
“I am pleased to join the debate on Bill C-210. This is a difficult bill to debate because it is a responsibility of citizenship and that is the fundamental question before us.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocAlain Therrien· May 4, 2022
“In fact, my colleague pushed us to do so by introducing this bill and asking our opinion. I weighed the pros and cons, and I will briefly outline what I came up with.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPTaylor Bachrach· May 4, 2022
“I am so pleased to rise on this beautiful evening to speak to my private member's bill, Bill C-210, the right to vote at 16 act.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Bill defeated. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.