A City of Victoria proposal to lower the municipal voting age to 16 years has won the ascent of the majority of B.C. local governments.
The city brought forward the resolution at the Union of B.C. Municipalities meeting Thursday, where it was supported by delegates from several local governments.
"In response to the outcry for climate action and the efficacy of youth fighting for a sustainable future, elected adults decided it’s time to bring the youth voice more formally into local politics by giving them the right to vote in local elections," the City of Victoria said in a news release Friday.
Student youth vote advocate Nahira Gerster-Sim attended the UBCM meeting Thursday to represent the #Vote16BC campaign.
“At age 16, youth have jobs, drive cars, and they can even get married or join the military with parental consent," the 15-year-old campaigner told the delegates.
"If we’re old enough to die for our country, we’re old enough to vote in it.”
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said in a statement Friday that B.C.'s youth are "clearly engaged" in politics, citing this week's worldwide climate demonstrations as but one example.
"The youth are doing more than striking," Helps said. "When they put down their picket signs and have conversations with us, they are demanding fiscal responsibility, sustainable jobs, and a long-term approach to governance. That’s exactly the kind of thinking we look for from our constituents, at any age.”
Local governments don't have the authority to change the voting age in B.C., only the provincial government can.
However, UBCM delegates from Victoria and others who supported lowering the voting age say the resolution is an important first step toward pushing the province to amend B.C.'s electoral laws.
