Teens as young as 14 to vote for Sask. Party leader, next premier
Vote for leader to replace Premier Brad Wall scheduled for Jan. 27
Saskatchewan youth who are not yet eligible to vote in a general election will be able to help select the province's next premier this month.
More than 1,800 people between the ages of 14 and 25 currently hold Saskatchewan Party memberships.
On Jan. 27, those young people will get to cast their vote, many for the first time, at the party's leadership convention. The person chosen to lead the party that day will also take over from Brad Wall as premier of Saskatchewan.
Since Wall announced his upcoming retirement in August 2017, the party has grown from 9,500 members to 27,125, as of Dec. 18, 2017.
"Anyone who is a member should have a say in who our next leader is," said Tye Hapke, 20, the president of the Sask. Party's youth executive. "It allows the youth a very sizable voice to decide where they want to see the party go in the next few years.
"It allows them to voice their own issues that they may have with our party policy, with the government policy, to the leadership vote, so that they can take that into account."
Hapke, who first got involved with the party during the 2016 provincial election, said he has friends working on all five of the Sask. Party leadership campaigns.
"Each candidate has their own appeal to young members," he said. "I wouldn't say there is one specific youth candidate, if you want to call it that."
While Hapke is excited that youth will have a say in the party's leadership, there has been debate about the idea on social media.
Today I learned that 14 year olds can become SK Party members. So, in theory, the next Premier could be chosen by people not old enough to vote in the next election <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/skpoli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#skpoli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pickapremier?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pickapremier</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/newmeaningtoyouthvote?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#newmeaningtoyouthvote</a>
—@kathysaskieone of our staffs 14 YO son became a member to vote. I wish 30 or 60 YO's were as engaged when voting muni prov or Federal.
—@kevink61A "youth wing" is meant to introduce and teach teenagers about politics and prepare them for when they are legally entitled to engage in the electoral process as a young adult.
—@DuaneAlanCookIt worked for Lorne Calvert <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/flashback?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#flashback</a>
—@voteothersk2016The Sask. Party isn't alone in bending its ear toward the younger generation. The Saskatchewan NDP will have its leadership vote on March 3, when members as young as 13 will have a chance to weigh in.