The right to vote is a human right. But many in Toronto don’t enjoy this right.
According to a 2016 population census, Toronto was home to 1.27 million foreign-born individuals, the largest number among Ontario municipalities.
A lot of them can’t vote.
Although voting expands beyond race, sex, and class, non-citizens remain the one group still powerless.
The concept of democracy and voting rights are closely tied to citizenship, but non-citizens pay taxes. Taxes are a pillar of democracy. Still, they can’t vote, something that directly impacts their livelihood.
Tax money helps fund police, schools, and transit services. How those services are positioned should be a decision made by the people, not some, but all.
In the GTA, the voting restriction is lifted if you are a permanent resident and own property.
Many argue people who invest in the city should have the right to vote, but investing shouldn’t be limited to money. That includes labour, too.
Residents who work daily are also stakeholders in the country.
Individuals who work and pay taxes should have the right to vote regardless of their citizenship status and be allowed to choose who represents them.
The large portion of residents not being able to participate politically leads to a problem of democratic legitimacy.
The law is not considerate, regardless of how long non-citizens lived and contributed to the betterment of the country. If you are not Canadian, there is no power to decide how the tax money you pay is spent.
Non-citizens live in the same neighbourhoods as citizens and should have a say in how to shape the places frequently visited. Perhaps municipal voting should not only be preserved for Canadian citizens.
Democracy would significantly advance if non-citizens are included in voting in municipal elections.
Some provinces like Nova Scotia have started allowing voting rights to permanent residents.
Allowing permanent residents to participate in municipal elections is essential as they can generate much needed change.
The working class is not specified for permanent residency. There are a lot of large groups without Permanent Residence status who volunteer, create jobs, and work in our communities.
Extending the right to vote for everyone might take years to implement, but it’s worth it.
According to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), countries such as Sweden and New Zealand have implemented voting rights for non-citizens, being allowed to vote after residency of three years and one year respectively.
The precedent has been set in other successful democracies and we shouldn’t fall behind in this regard.
We need to ask how we can help build a safe and suitable city for ourselves. If we have residents who picked our city and are working with us, we need to be able to include them politically too.
It can’t be said anything about the power of the people.
Democracy can only exist if the people are in control. More than half of the people in cities like Toronto are voiceless.