VANCOUVER, B.C. — Green Councillor Pete Fry is expressing disappointment after Vancouver City Council voted down his motion calling on the Province to amend the Vancouver Charter to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in municipal elections.

The motion, Youth Voices: Amend the Charter for Age Sixteen Starter, followed strong public support, with 16 speakers urging Council to recognize youth as active, informed participants in civic life.

“Young people are already shaping our city, through school, work, climate action, and community leadership,” said Councillor Fry. “Council had a chance to acknowledge that reality and take a meaningful step toward a more inclusive democracy. Instead, the majority chose to maintain the status quo.”

Youth Already Carry Adult Responsibilities

At age 16, British Columbians can work, pay taxes, and drive, and many political decisions made at City Hall directly affect their futures, from housing and transit to climate action and public space.

Research consistently shows that voting earlier helps build lifelong civic engagement, strengthening democratic participation over time.

“Democracy works best when people are invited in early,” Fry said. “Lowering the voting age isn’t radical. It’s evidence-based.”

Vancouver Lags Other Jurisdictions

Jurisdictions around the world, including Austria, Scotland, parts of Germany and Switzerland, and several U.S. cities, already allow voting at 16 in local elections. In British Columbia, UBCM endorsed lowering the voting age as early as 2019, and Vancouver previously voted unanimously in support of the Vote16BC campaign in 2021.

Because voting eligibility in Vancouver is governed by the Vancouver Charter, any change requires provincial action, which is why Fry’s motion focused on urging the Province to act.

“This was about asking Victoria to open the door,” Fry added. “Council didn’t even want to knock.”

The Conversation Isn’t Over

Despite the defeat, Fry emphasized that youth engagement in civic life will only continue to grow and that the issue will return.

“Young people are paying attention,” said Fry. “They showed up, they spoke, and they made their case clearly. Even when Council says no, movements like this don’t disappear, they build.”

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