| Electoral Franchise Act | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parliament of Canada | |
| |
| Citation | SC 1885 (48 & 49 Vict), c 40; RSC 1886, c 5 |
| Enacted by | Parliament of Canada |
| Enacted | July 14, 1885 |
| Considered by | Senate of Canada |
| Assented to | July 20, 1885 |
| Legislative history | |
| First chamber: Parliament of Canada | |
| Bill title | 103 |
| Introduced by | John A. Macdonald |
| First reading | March 19, 1885 |
| Second reading | April 21, 1885 |
| Third reading | July 4, 1885 |
| Second chamber: Senate of Canada | |
| Bill title | 103 |
| Member(s) in charge | Alexander Campbell |
| First reading | July 7, 1885 |
| Second reading | July 10, 1885 |
| Third reading | July 14, 1885 |
| Repealed by | |
| Franchise Act, 1898 SC 1898 (61 Vict), c 14 | |
| Status: Repealed | |
The Electoral Franchise Act, 1885[1][2] (French: Acte du cens électoral)[3] was a federal statute that regulated elections in Canada for a brief period in the late 19th century. The act was in force from 1885, when it was passed by John A. Macdonald's Conservative majority; to 1898, when Wilfrid Laurier's Liberals repealed it.[4] The Electoral Franchise Act restricted the vote to propertied men over 21. It excluded women, Indigenous people west of Ontario, and those designated "Chinese" or "Mongolian".[5][6]
- ^ Electoral Franchise Act, 1885, SC 1885 (48 & 49 Vict), c 40; RSC 1886, c 5.
- ^ Hodgins 1886, p. 13.
- ^ "Des progrès inégaux, 1867-1919". Élections Canada. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
- ^ Little 2018, pp. 539–540.
- ^ Strong-Boag 2013, p. 69.
- ^ Preece, Rod (1984). "The Political Wisdom of Sir John A. Macdonald". Canadian Journal of Political Science. 17 (3): 485. doi:10.1017/S0008423900031863. ISSN 0008-4239. JSTOR 3227603.