A Dark Time
Canadians of Japanese origin were legally excluded from voting, and they were not alone. It took until 1960 for racial discrimination to disappear completely from electoral legislation.

Legal Discrimination
The right to vote became universal in principle in 1920, but significant loopholes remained. Electoral law allowed the exclusion of Native people and people of Oriental origin. In particular, Canadian citizens of Japanese origin were at one time denied the right to vote, even when they had served in the Canadian army during the war. Various religious groups were also affected. Native people could vote since Confederation, but only if they gave up their treaty rights and registered Indian status. The last of these limitations were lifted in 1960, but not without much political debate.