Bill S-219 explained in plain English
An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Regulation Adapting the Canada Elections Act for the Purposes of a Referendum (voting age)
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill S-219 would lower the federal voting age from 18 to 16 years old for federal elections and referendums.
Bill S-219 proposes to change federal voting law so that Canadian citizens who are 16 years old (instead of the current 18 years old) can vote in federal elections and referendums. The bill modifies the Canada Elections Act and related referendum regulations to reflect this age change throughout the voting system. This includes updating the definition of who can be an "elector" (voter), changing rules about voter eligibility, and adjusting provisions about private fundraising events and voter declarations. The bill also removes a special rule that allowed election officers to be 16 or 17 years old, since the minimum voting age would now be 16. If the bill becomes law, it would take effect either six months after royal assent, or earlier if the Chief Electoral Officer publishes a notice in the Canada Gazette confirming that preparations are complete.
- This draft was normalized from a partial local-model response and must be reviewed before publication.
Changes who is qualified to vote. Currently, a person must be 18 or older on polling day to vote. Under this bill, a person would need to be 16 or older on polling day.
Source: Section 2 of Bill S-219
Changes the definition to apply to Canadian citizens aged 14 or 15, preparing the system for the new 16-year-old voting age.
Source: Section 1 of Bill S-219
Removes the rule that allowed election officers to be as young as 16 years old, since the voting age would now be 16.
Source: Section 3 of Bill S-219
Updates the age requirement in the voting offences section from 18 to 16 years old to reflect the new voting age.
Source: Section 4 of Bill S-219
Changes the age threshold for excluding people from fundraising event reports from under 18 to under 16.
Source: Section 5 of Bill S-219
Updates the voter declaration form to confirm the person is or will be 16 or older on polling day, instead of 18 or older.
Source: Section 6 of Bill S-219
Changes the voting age for federal referendums from 18 to 16 years old, matching the same rule for federal elections.
Source: Section 7 of Bill S-219
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textParliamentary Process
Bill S-219, proposing amendments to the Canada Elections Act regarding the voting age, completed its first reading in the Senate on June 17, 2020, and was subsequently debated at second reading on June 22, 2020.
Bill S-219, concerning the voting age, received its first reading in the Senate on June 17, 2020. This is a formal step where the bill is introduced to the Senate. The bill was later debated at second reading on June 22, 2020, with a speech from Senator Marilou McPhedran. The provided text also lists several similar bills that have been introduced in previous parliamentary sessions but have not advanced past first reading.
During a Senate sitting on June 17, 2020, senators paid tribute to the late Senator Andrée Champagne, discussed various pressing issues, engaged in question period, debated procedural motions, and formally introduced Bill S-219 for its first reading.
This record documents the proceedings of the Senate on June 17, 2020. The sitting included tributes to the late Senator Andrée Champagne, discussions on various topics including World Refugee Day, French Education in British Columbia, and the Accessible Canada Act, question period on matters like divestment obligations and corruption of border services personnel, and debates on motions regarding the election of the Speaker pro tempore and the government's role in combating racism. A key procedural event was the introduction and first reading of Bill S-219, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Regulation Adapting the Canada Elections Act for the Purposes of a Referendum (voting age).
On June 22, 2020, the Senate held a debate for the second reading of Bill S-219, an act to amend the Canada Elections Act regarding the voting age.
This record indicates that Bill S-219, concerning the voting age, was debated at its second reading in the Senate on June 22, 2020. This stage of the legislative process involves a general discussion of the bill's principles and purpose. The bill had its first reading on June 17, 2020. The status indicates that the second reading stage was not completed on this date. The artifact also lists similar bills that have been introduced in Parliament.
During the Senate sitting on June 22, 2020, Bill S-219, concerning lowering the voting age, was scheduled for second reading debate, but the debate was adjourned.
On June 22, 2020, the Senate convened for a sitting that included Senator statements, routine proceedings, question period, and orders of the day. The bill to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Regulation Adapting the Canada Elections Act for the Purposes of a Referendum regarding the voting age (Bill S-219) was listed on the Orders of the Day for second reading debate, but the debate was adjourned, meaning it was not completed during this sitting.
The Senate began the second reading debate of Bill S-219, which proposes to lower the federal voting age to 16, with the sponsor arguing for the maturity and engagement of young Canadians and the potential benefits for democracy and voter turnout.
During the Senate's second reading debate on Bill S-219, the sponsor of the bill, Senator Marilou McPhedran, presented arguments for lowering the voting age in federal elections from 18 to 16. She cited evidence suggesting that 16- and 17-year-olds are mature and informed enough to vote, that lowering the age could increase long-term voter turnout, and that it would demonstrate respect for young Canadians who are already subject to many adult responsibilities and taxes. The debate on this bill was adjourned.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced