Dominion Elections Act
| Dominion Elections Act | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parliament of Canada | |
Long title
| |
| Citation | SC 1920 (10 & 11 Geo V), c 46 |
| Enacted by | House of Commons of Canada |
| Enacted | June 29, 1920 |
| Enacted by | Senate of Canada |
| Assented to | July 1, 1920 |
| Legislative history | |
| Bill introduced in the House of Commons of Canada | 12 |
| Introduced by | Hugh Guthrie |
| First reading | March 11, 1920 |
| Second reading | March 25-26, 1920 |
| Third reading | June 28, 1920 |
| Bill introduced in the Senate of Canada | 12 |
| Introduced by | James Alexander Lougheed |
| First reading | June 29, 1920 |
| Second reading | N/A |
| Third reading | June 29, 1920 |
| Repeals | |
| Amended by | |
| Repealed by | |
| Dominion Elections Act SC 1934 (24 & 25 Geo V), c 50 | |
| Status: Repealed | |
The Dominion Elections Act[1] was a bill passed by the House of Commons of Canada in 1920, under Robert Borden's Unionist government. The Act allowed women to run for the Parliament of Canada. However, women from minorities, for example, Aboriginals and Asians, were not granted these rights.[2] This bill was passed due in part to the advocacy of Nellie McClung, a women's rights activist from Manitoba.
The law established the agency now known as Elections Canada with the position of Chief Electoral Officer as head of the agency.[3]
Background[]
During World War I, the country was split on the issue of conscription. Ahead of the 1917 election, the Liberal Party experienced splits among individual MPs. Protests erupted over the government's plan to introduce conscription in what became known as the conscription crisis of 1917. Pro-conscription Liberals joined forces with the Conservative Party to form the Unionist Party in 1917, lead by Prime Minister Robert Borden.
In an effort to increase votes for the new Unionist Party, Borden granted the vote to female relatives of active-duty soldiers. The 1917 election had the highest female voter turnout out of any other election, and the Unionist Party won a safe majority, with only Quebec voting majority Liberal.
References[]
Citations[]
- ^ Dominion Elections Act, S.C. 1920, c. 46
- ^ "Chapter 3: Modernization, 1920–1981". A History of the Vote in Canada. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
- ^ "The Role and Structure of Elections Canada". Elections Canada. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
Sources[]
- Parliament of Canada (1920). Acts of the Parliament of the Dominion of Canada. Ottawa: Brown Chamberlin, Law Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty. pp. 169–289. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
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- Election legislation
- 1920 in Canadian law
- Women's suffrage in Canada
- Canadian federal legislation
- 1920 in women's history
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