From a Privilege to a Right

By jacobss10

  • black canadians

    black canadians
    After the British Empire did away with slavery and emancipated slaves, black Canadians were enfranchised with the same voting rights as white Canadians. Namely, they had to be male citizens who owned taxable property. Black women gained the federal franchise simultaneously with other Canadian suffragettes in the 20th. Black Canadians were proactive about defending their voting rights against racist vote suppressors throughout the 19th century.

  • Asian-Canadians

    Asian-Canadians
    In the 1800s and beyond, Canadians of European descent discriminated against Canadians of Asian descent.Asian Canadians were first allowed to vote in federal elections in 1898. However, a loophole in election laws passed in 1920 stipulated that individual provinces could prevent ethnic minorities from voting in federal elections. These limitations were gradually repealed. By 1948, all Canadian citizens of Asian descent could vote in federal elections.

  • Military personnel

    Military personnel
    By 1916, most Canadian men could vote. However, one could still serve in the military regardless of voting rights. In 1917, two separate acts extended voting rights. The Military Voters Act enfranchised all Canadian armed forces personnel. The Wartime Elections Act allowed the female relatives of Canadian military personnel to vote in their family members’ stead while the latter were deployed in Europe.

  • woman

    woman
    Shortly after voting for the first time via the Wartime Elections Act, women received the federal franchise in 1918. Although there are records of landed or wealthy Canadian women voting in the 1800s (before such practices were explicitly barred), this was the first time Canadian women were granted unconditional suffrage. However, provinces and territories would continue to deny women voting rights in provincial elections up until 1951.

  • First Nation

    First Nation
    Enfranchisement rights for Indigenous Canadians has a complicated past.Certain First Nation men could vote as early as1867provided they renounced Indian status and met the other conditions required of voters.It was thought to be a conflict of interest to be able to vote and also be subject to the various treaties and agreements the Canadian government signed with aboriginal groups.It would take until 1960 before the right of all Indigenous Canadians to vote was recognized by PM John Diefenbaker.