political and civil rights, like: freely forming and expressing our own opinions (even if others

don’t agree), being free to worship in your own way, and the right to protest, if you

so choose. In 1982, our government created the Canadian

Charter of Rights and Freedoms to protect our rights. Have you heard of it before? The

Charter contains seven sections that define our rights as Canadians: fundamental rights,

democratic rights, mobility rights, legal rights, equality rights, official language

rights and minority language education rights. Having democratic rights means that every

Canadian citizen, 18 years of age and older, has the right to participate or vote in government

elections. And, elections are legally required to be held at least every five years.

The right to vote in Canada has changed so much over time. In the early days, only wealthy,

property or land-owning men could vote, which means there weren’t many voters, and the

system wasn’t very fair or democratic. Needless to say, women weren’t so happy

about this. Starting in the 1870s, they campaigned for the right to vote. Finally, in 1916, Manitoba

became the first province to grant women the right to vote, and by 1918, women all across

the country had the same right as men when it came to voting in federal elections.

Still, things weren’t ideal. Even though the right to vote was expanded with the 1920

Dominion Elections Act, many people were still excluded:

Canadian citizens of Chinese or Japanese origin were denied the right to vote; plus, Aboriginal

peoples could only vote if they gave up their treaty rights and registered Indian status;

and certain religious groups were not allowed to vote;.

It wasn’t until 1960 when all these restrictions were finally removed and we achieved real

“universal suffrage”. Recently, there have been steps to ensure

voting is accessible and convenient for all voters, so people with disabilities and those

unable to go to their polling station can still vote.

Despite the fact that all Canadian citizens, 18 years of age and older, now have the right

to vote and it’s actually easier than ever, many choose not to vote on election day. In

the 2011 federal election, only 61% of eligible Canadians cast ballots. That’s pretty low.

Voter turnout is even lower among young Canadians. Only 4 out of 10 young people voted in the

last election…less than half the population of young Canadians!

We have to remember that there are obligations that come with our rights. Others before us

ensured we all have the right to vote…and with this right comes the responsibility to

cast a ballot and make an informed choice on election day.