14 year old: why I cast my vote

Alfie McKenzie: It might have been illegal, but I voted with my conscience

The 14-year-old who brazened his way into an election booth to cast a ballot, Alfie McKenzie, tells why he did it

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This week I took my interest in politics a bit further than I'd previously imagined. It seems I have become the first 14-year-old to vote in a general election and, if we're to keep some faith in our voting system and the competence of its managers, hopefully the last.

A few months ago my sister gave all the names in our household to an official who called at our door in Poulton, Lancashire. She thought the woman with the clipboard was asking about the census. In fact she was collecting names for the electoral register of Wyre and Preston North.
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My crime only came out when I confided in one of my teachers. She didn't see the funny side and told the deputy head. I don't blame him for reporting it to the council, he was legally obliged at that point. But it was rather nerve-racking to think that I might be fast on the road to becoming a convict.

When the police arrived, I came across way too informed and understanding to claim ignorance; the burly officer's patronising tone lowered as our interview progressed. Fortunately, it seems that I'm not going to be prosecuted.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/09/alfie-mckenzie-14-year-old-voter