Vancouver Island teen among group pushing for federal voting age to be lowered

A Vancouver Island teenager is among a group of young people from across the country who have filed a court challenge to lower the voting age in Canada.

Diego Christiansen-Barker from Campbell River, B.C., is one of the 13 youths challenging the federal voting age in an Ontario court.

The challenge argues that the Canada Elections Act is unconstitutional in its exclusion of Canadians under 18 from voting in federal elections.

“Under current Canadian law, a 16-year-old could marry or give consent to a member of parliament but cannot vote for them," the 17-year-old Christiansen-Barker said in a statement Wednesday.

"I feel this example illustrates the inconsistency in responsibilities given to youth under Canadian law, which is one of the main reasons I want to lower the voting age," he added.

The group argues that provisions in the Canadian Elections Act that prevent citizens under 18 years of age from voting in federal elections are unconstitutional because they violate sections three and 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Section three of the Charter deals with democratic rights. It states that all Canadian citizens have a right to vote in federal and provincial/territorial elections. Section 15 says everyone is equal before and under the law “without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.”

In a news release, the group pointed to Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Ecuador and Germany, which have all lowered their voting ages to 16.

With files from CTVNews.ca's Hannah Jackson