Vancouver city council considers lowering voting age to 16

A Vancouver city councillor is advocating for the city to lower the municipal voting age to 16.

Coun. Pete Fry is expected to table a motion Wednesday that would have the city reaffirm its support for lowering the minimum voting age from 18 and ask the province to amend the Vancouver Charter accordingly.

Fry says young people are directly affected by political decisions, including those on education, employment, housing, climate change, and transportation. He says young people aged 16 and 17 are increasingly engaged in civic issues, and they should have the opportunity to participate in political life.

“At 16, individuals can work, pay taxes, drive, and in some cases, be tried as adults,” Fry argued. “Voting aligns with these responsibilities.”

His motion cites several nations where the voting age is 16 in at least one level of government, including Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Cuba, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Malta, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. Those examples, he says, primarily concern municipal and school board elections.

The power to amend the Vancouver Charter for the purpose of lowering the voting age lies with the provincial government.

While the city would await the Minister of Municipal Affairs to make the amendment, Fry’s motion would also have city staff research youth engagement opportunities for the next municipal elections scheduled for October 2026.

City council is expected to meet at 9:30 a.m.