Quebec Solidaire wants to allow people to vote from the age of 16

Quebec Solidaire Leader Ruba Ghazal responds to reporters questions before a pre-session caucus meeting as co-spokesperson Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, right, looks on, at the legislature in Quebec City, Thursday, September 11, 2025 (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

Québec Solidaire wants young people to be able to vote from the age of 16, so that they can express their views if a referendum on sovereignty is held.

The left-wing party announced on Thursday that if elected, it would lower the voting age to 16 “as soon as it comes to power.”

Party spokesperson Ruba Ghazal explains that she wants to allow a larger proportion of young people to have their say in such a popular consultation.

She argues that young people have the right to express their views on their own future.

“I want the 2026 election to be the last one in which 16- and 17-year-olds cannot vote,” she said in a statement.

Ghazal pointed out that the right to vote at age 16 has already been adopted in some countries, notably Austria. The United Kingdom has also announced its intention to do so for the next election.

“Not only are young people mature enough to express themselves, but it would also have a beneficial effect on their education and political participation,” she argued.

The sovereignty movement has been buoyed since a CROP poll last summer revealed that the option was gaining momentum among 18- to 34-year-olds. According to the poll published by La Presse in August, 56 per cent of respondents are in favour of sovereignty.

And with the Parti Québécois still leading in voting intentions, the possibility of a referendum is becoming increasingly tangible.

“Young people are eager for an independent Quebec and want to play a full part in building an inclusive country that is open to the world,” argued Ghazal. “Let’s give them the means to achieve their ambitions by allowing them to be fully involved in their future.”

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2025.