Voting Rights in Canada Learning Tool

SECTION 4: Confederation to the First World War

At the time of Confederation in 1867, voting rules were determined by each province – including who was allowed to vote federally. Typically, the franchise was extended to male British subjects over the age of 21, with most provinces having a property ownership requirement. However, at this time most Canadians did not own property or meet the income threshold established by these provinces, resulting in most people being excluded from voting. Eligible voters were determined by the provinces – a group that was disenfranchised provincially was also disenfranchised federally. Around the turn of the 20th century, the majority of these property and income-based restrictions were lifted.

In 1876, the Indian Act consolidated laws affecting Status Indians. It introduced compulsory enfranchisement, which meant that any Status Indian who received a university degree or became a medical doctor, lawyer, or clergyman was automatically enfranchised, and their status was terminated. If they also met the property qualifications, they could then vote federally. However, the majority were still disenfranchised. It wasn’t until 1960 that all First Nations could vote federally without losing status and treaty rights. The Indian Act also imposed the band system on Indigenous peoples in Canada as a way to control their governance and try to assimilate them into Euro-Canadian culture through Western democracy. Bands are Indigenous groups whose use of reserve lands, monies, and other resources were managed by the federal government. Bands were forced to adopt colonial government structures akin to municipal governments, electing members to chief and council positions. These councils were held accountable to the Minister of Indian Affairs. Indian agents – primarily non-Indigenous men – were assigned to manage the day-to-day affairs of bands, including overseeing elections, and could veto band council decisions. These agents enforced the assimilationist policies of the government. Today, bands are overseen by the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs. Status Indian women were banned from running in or voting in these elections until amendments were made to the Indian Act in 1951. However, the 1951 amendments also placed tighter restrictions on Status Indian women; they were involuntarily enfranchised if they married non-Status men, meaning they lost their band rights and privileges, as did their children. The 1885 Electoral Franchise Act , which was repealed in 1898, gave the federal vote to male Reserve First Nations in eastern Canada who met the property qualifications, without removing their status. The property qualifications once again meant that many First Nations members were barred from voting. During the same period, federal and provincial policies removed the right to vote from many groups based on race. With large waves of immigration at the end of the 19th and the early 20th century, the demographics of Canada shifted. In provinces where white settlers were threatened by the influx of non-white settlers, race-based policies shifted to exclude voters. Few rights were granted until the First World War. Read more about Bands on The Canadian Encyclopedia .

The Indian Act is the primary law the federal government uses to administer Indian status, local First Nations governments, and the management of reserve land. The act was designed to assimilate First Nations into Euro-Canadian society. Read more about the Indian Act on The Canadian Encyclopedia .

Nursing Sisters at a Canadian Hospital voting in the Canadian federal election, France, 1917 (courtesy William Rider-Rider/ Canada. Dept. of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada/PA-002279). 7.