At 14 years old, Grade 9 Reynolds student Mira Blakely has for the lowered voting age if sheB次元官网网址檚 going to be among the first generation of British Columbians to vote at 16.
Though it seems unlikely at this stage, itB次元官网网址檚 technically possible that BlakelyB次元官网网址檚 petitioning could be part of a successful movement to lower the voting age to 16 in time for the next provincial election, which is on or before Oct. 16, 2021.
The ambitious teen has peddled the idea at busier pockets of the region such as the Cook Street Village and the corner of Quadra and McKenzie. And the results are mixed.
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B次元官网网址淪ome people are interested, some arenB次元官网网址檛 sure, and others kind of keep walking,B次元官网网址� Blakely said.
Such is the life of a streetside solicitor.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of youth end up disengaged because they donB次元官网网址檛 have the ability to vote,B次元官网网址� Blakely said.
This week the City of Victoria will consider advancing the motion to the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities and, from there, to the Union of BC Municipalities, to lower it the age to 16 for all municipal, general elections. ItB次元官网网址檚 timely as Green party leader Andrew Weaver has said he will propose lower the voting age in B.C. to 16 years of age from the current minimum of 18.
It was the NDP who last adjusted the voting age from 19 down to 18 in 1992.
B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 good policy to lower it at all levels, federal, provincial and municipal,B次元官网网址� said Victoria Coun. Ben Isitt. B次元官网网址淚deally, the level of civic literacy would be uniformly high. The reality is there are very uneven levels of education and civic responsibility.
B次元官网网址淲e have older people who donB次元官网网址檛 vote, and older people who vote but are badly uninformed on issues and their civic responsibility, and need a bigger focus on civic responsibility for all ages.B次元官网网址�
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It starts with lowering the age bracket to include a wider age bracket, Isitt added.
It could be the biggest change in election history since people of colour and certain religions had their voting bans lifted, part of
At one point the rules were so strict only select white men could vote. Not those who worked for the government. Too partisan. When it came to people of colour, well, letB次元官网网址檚 just say there was even a ban on Hutterites until 1949. Same for First Nations people and Japanese-Canadians. In 1947 voting bans were lifted on Chinese and B次元官网网址楬indus.B次元官网网址�
Blakely, and Isitt, believe lowering the voting age is next.
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