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J.N. Burnett Secondary student, Maya Lichtmann, looks forward to participating in Richmond's Oct. 20 civic election.
Photo by Chung Chow
Local student a Youth at the Booth for civic election
Published 1:27 PDT, Thu October 18, 2018
Last Updated: 2:12 PDT, Wed May 12, 2021
The ad read, “Are you energetic, friendly and
upbeat and do you enjoy meeting people? If so, we are looking for you!”
So Maya Litchmann applied.
“It’s an opportunity for youth to work at the
voting booths, helping people register and helping people get to where they are
supposed to be voting,” she said of City of Richmond’s Youth at the Booth
program.
The Grade 11 student at J.N. Burnett
Secondary has a full schedule: “I am president of the Model UN Club at my
school. I coach cheerleading at Panther Cheer Athletics. I am youth chair at
Thompson Community Centre.”
She is also involved with student council at
Burnett.
“I definitely have a passion for politics.
It’s really important for youth to have a voice in our community,” she says.
In a time when the voting age for civic
elections is 18, the 16-year-old Lichtmann says, “I felt like participating in
the election even though I cannot vote. Youth at the Booth makes me still feel
like I am involved in the world of politics.”
The city’s website lists some of the duties
of the Youth at the Booth:
• Courteously welcoming all people entering
the voting place
• Directing Electors to the appropriate
Election Officials
• Distributing stickers to people when they
leave
• Informing Electors on where to find
Election results online or on the Richmond Election (smart phone app)
• Performing other general tasks throughout
the voting place.
Asked about the source of her interest in
politics, Lichtmann says, “I think it’s probably rooted from my dad. He was a
political science major. The news is on 24/7 in our house. It’s always on.
Growing up aware of the world around you is important and is something my
parents have always taught me.”
And how does she see our community?
“Richmond? I love it. It is the more family version of Vancouver. It has all
the great things and plus a really great fit for families.”
Where does Lichtmann see herself in the
future?
“I would love to go into politics eventually.
But probably I’ll go to university and take an international relations course
and yeah, eventually move into politics.”
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