CRANBERRY TWP — Ashley Linn may not be able to vote, but that doesn't stop her from knowing what side she stands on — despite the influence of her conservative parents.

Ashley Linn, a 13-year-old from Cranberry Township, is a Bernie Sanders supporter and has skipped school to attend two of the Democratic presidential candidate's rallies in Pittsburgh.

Ashley attends St. Kilian's Parish School in Cranberry with her friend Alexa Julian, 12, who also is a Sanders supporter.

While Ashley is not old enough to vote, that does not stop her from being politically aware, she said.

“I do a lot of my own research on it,” Ashley said.

“I came to realize that I was a Democrat and not Republican, and I started looking at the candidates on the Democratic side, and I came across Bernie Sanders' website, and I was looking at his policies and reforms. That's kind of how I became a Sanders fan.”

Ashley's support for Sanders comes from his equal rights' policies, like with women's rights and allowing them the choice of having an abortion.

With Alexa, Ashley has attended two Sanders' rallies, one in March at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and one Monday at the University of Pittsburgh's Fitzgerald Field House.

Although Ashley's parents knew that she skipped school, they had not known that Ashley and Alexa went to the first rally unattended, until the Eagle's interview with Ashley, that is.

For her, the atmosphere was incredible.

“It's really exciting because you know the people around you have the same interests,” she said. “It's just a lot of excitement and a lot of vendors ... Once you're inside, it was very hard to be in such a big crowd, but it is a lot of fun.”

Alexa enjoyed the opportunity to be around like-minded people who have a common goal for improving life for the middle class and lower class.

“I think it's great to be in a room with people who have the same morals and values that I do,” Alexa said. “It's great that we can discuss issues that are being described and not feel criticized without any actual facts.”

Ashley said she believes that more people should be politically involved, even if they cannot vote.

“More people need to be educated about who the next leader of our country might be,” she said.

Despite her age, she said plenty of her friends are politically involved, but most of them identify as Republicans, she said.

“Most of my friends are Republican so we kind of argue a lot,” she said.

Ashley identifying as a Democrat is not too much of a sore spot for her mother, Jennifer Linn.

“They don't actually know that I'm a Sanders supporter,” Ashley said.

But her mother immediately disagreed.

“Oh yeah, we do!” Jennifer Linn said.

Ashley conceded that her extended family knows she's a Democrat, but she does not bring up her support for Sanders often, trying to avoid political conflict in the family.

“I try not to talk too much about my values toward the Democratic side because I don't want to get into a big argument with my family about it,” she said.

Although Ashley has a keen interest in politics, she does not want to have a political career and instead hopes to be a psychologist.

Jennifer Linn said she tells Ashley her political views will change one day.

“I always joke with her that her political affiliation will change as soon as she gets a job,” she said.

But Ashley is not so sure about that and expressed her doubt that she would change her mind.

If Sanders does not win the Democratic nomination, Ashley said she's not sure if she would support Hillary Clinton, instead joking: “I'll just move to Canada.”

<hardreturn>Ashley said she believes that more people should be politically involved, even if they cannot vote.<br />“More people need to be educated about who the next leader of our country might be,” she said. <br />Despite her age, she said plenty of her friends are politically involved, but most of them identify as Republicans, she said. <br />“Most of my friends are Republican so we kind of argue a lot,” she said. <br />Ashley identifying as a Democrat is not too much of a sore spot for her mother, Jennifer Linn. <br />“They don't actually know that I'm a Sanders supporter,” Ashley said.<br />But her mother immediately disagreed.<br />“Oh yeah, we do!” Jennifer Linn said. <br />Ashley conceded that her extended family knows she's a Democrat, but she does not bring up her support for Sanders often, trying to avoid political conflict in the family. <br />“I try not to talk too much about my values toward the Democratic side because I don't want to get into a big argument with my family about it,” she said. <br />Although Ashley has a keen interest in politics, she does not want to have a political career and instead hopes to be a psychologist. <br />Jennifer Linn said she tells Ashley her political views will change one day. <br />“I always joke with her that her political affiliation will change as soon as she gets a job,” she said. <br />But Ashley is not so sure about that and expressed her doubt that she would change her mind. <br />If Sanders does not win the Democratic nomination, Ashley said she's not sure if she would support Hillary Clinton, instead joking: “I'll just move to Canada.”<br class="hardreturn" />