A Minnesota teen is running for office in Vermont. The state's election laws allow it.

Quirks in Vermont's election laws have allowed an out-of-state teen to declare he is running for secretary of state in the August primary.

The candidate, Wyatt Pohlen, of Minnesota, has filed as a Democratic challenger to incumbent Jim Condos, according to records from the Vermont Secretary of State's Office. A candidate from Georgia, who had filed as a Republican, has since dropped out of the race, according to his campaign. 

A profile for Pohlen on the website Ballotpedia says he is 14 years old.

Secretary of state is one of several statewide offices in Vermont that have no age or residency requirements specified in the state's constitution, according to Vermont Director of Elections and Campaign Finance Will Senning. Other statewide offices, such as governor and lieutenant governor, have just the residency requirement. 

This quirk in Vermont law was how Ethan Sonneborn, then 14, was able to run for governor in 2018. Sonneborn, now 17 and a senior in high school, said he was excited to hear that another teenager was running for statewide office in Vermont, but he was skeptical because the teen was from outside the state. 

"I think more young people running for office is great," said Sonneborn, of Bristol. "Knowing that they're from out of state raises more questions than answers for me. I think if you're going to run for office as a 14-year-old — which I did and I don't regret at all — I think you should have some clear vision for the state and vision for your campaign."

Pohlen's campaign did not return multiple requests for comment, but his profile on BallotPedia states he is running on several issues: making Vermont elections more accessible, creating small businesses and helping children become more active in government.

What are the rules about running for Vermont statewide office?

There is no age limit to run for any of the statewide offices in Vermont, which include governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, secretary of state, auditor of accounts and attorney general. The only statewide positions that require the candidate live in Vermont are governor and lieutenant governor, which requires Vermont residency at least four years prior to the day of the election.

All statewide candidates will be required to collect signatures of 500 registered voters in order to appear on the ballot, Senning said.

Former teen candidate: No regrets running for governor at 14

Sonneborn recently reflected on his own bid for governor during an interview with the Burlington Free Press. At the time of his campaign four years ago, he was transitioning from middle school to high school, didn't yet have a driver's license, and was working as a legislative page in Montpelier. Even though he was an unconventional candidate, Sonneborn believed he had a clear vision for Vermont and could execute that vision if he was elected.

Sonneborn knows he probably missed out on some normal teenager experiences, especially during that summer before his freshman year of high school, but he says he knew he was doing something that mattered, and that made everything worth it. 

"Maybe even looking back on it now, I sort of romanticize it, but it was hard," Sonneborn said. "There were a lot of long days, and especially when you get close to a primary, you get very busy."

Sonneborn also knew that if he wanted other people to take him seriously, he had to be prepared and serious about his own campaign and ideas, he said. That was one of several tips he offered to other young people who wanted to run for office, which also included: be prepared, have a clear vision and ideas that can be easily conveyed to voters, be ready to listen to people impacted by policies, and have a good support system.

Sonneborn still did face some skeptics as he traveled the state who questioned his viability as a candidate. However, he said this didn't discourage him – and shouldn't discourage other young people – from running for office since he believes campaigns should be about the ideas, not necessarily the people peddling them. 

Sonneborn ultimately lost the Democratic primary, but that didn't dissuade him from a potential career in politics. Three years later, Sonneborn is bracing for the next chapter in his life. He's volunteered for several campaigns and stayed in touch with some of the people he met in Vermont's political world. He's planning on attending American University in the fall, and he intends to declare a major in political science. 

In the more immediate future, Sonneborn is looking forward to being able to cast his own ballot for the first time in August. He'll be 18 by then.

Contact Elizabeth Murray on Twitter at @LizMurrayBFP.