Elections: The Educational Package

Cover of the September 2024 issue of Kayak. Colour illustration depicts people lining up to receive their ballot.
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Cover illustration: Arden Taylor

It was a long time before Canada’s federal elections were fair. At first, only men could vote and campaigns involved pressure or bribery to pick a certain candidate. There were fights and even deaths. Cheating was common. In this issue, readers can follow the election trail to see how we got to the system we have now.

Canada’s Chief Electoral officer, Stéphane Perrault, explains how it works and why voting matters — even if you’re not old enough to cast a ballot yet. Neighbours highlight our country’s long history of excluding some people from voting at a 1972 yard sale in this issue’s fiction feature, and the comic offers vignettes of the bad old days before elections were properly regulated.

Readers can enjoy fun facts, ponder the age they think is best to start voting, and discover lots more in the September issue of Kayak.

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Lesson Plans

Elections and Voting

This lesson has students explore election facts and examine some arguments for and against lowering the voting age.

Making it Fair

In this lesson, students will generate ideas about what fairness means to them and then extend those ideas to elections.
Civic Education

Elections Canada has additional educational resources and tools for teaching about federal elections and democracy.

Learn more

More Kayak

Voice Your Vote

Have students weigh in on if they think Canadians should be able to start voting at age 16. They could win a Kayak prize pack!

No Votes For Men!

Nellie McClung and a group of devoted suffragists stage their mock parliament to make a point about women’s equality.

No Votes for Men!

In this lesson students encounter an important step towards the full enfranchisement of Canadian citizens.

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