Nick Peters and Brian Hannay protest age restrictions on voting during Parksville’s municipal election.
Even as Parksville residents streamed into voting booths in Saturday’s municipal election, Nick Peters and Brian Hannay stood outside, waving protest signs and chatting with voters as they emerged.
The two Parksville teens were on hand to protest the fact that, at age 16, despite being aware of the issues and attending all candidates meetings, they were not allowed to cast a ballot.
Specifically, he said the vote violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in two areas.
Peters said the pair began their electoral protest campaign during the last federal election and although he conceded he doesn’t expect the two-person demonstration to change the law, Peters said he wanted to make it known that young people want to take part in the democratic process — but aren’t allowed to do so.
Peters said one argument he hears is that teenagers are not mentally capable of voting — a position that makes him bristle.