“The future of this republic is in the hands of the American voter.”
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
As a young child, my parents taught me about the importance of being a good American citizen. They shared with me the value of being involved in the election process and the importance of actually voting in our elections. As soon as I was eligible, I made sure to register to vote and to fulfill my responsibilities of being an American citizen.
As a parent, I hope to also instill the same values in my children and encourage them to become active American citizens. I started this process when my girls were very young; babies to be exact. Ever since they were born, both girls have gone with me to vote in each of our local and national elections. Each time, the poll workers applaud them for coming to vote and they leave with their very own “I Voted” stickers. Our oldest daughter may only be four years old now but she already understands how to vote at a polling location. She also understands that when you vote, you are actually voting for a specific person to do a specific job.
Don’t wait until your children are “older” to teach them about our country. They observe so much in the younger years! If your children are older, then make sure to go into detail about our government, the election process, and then INVOLVE them.
Below I have listed questions as ideas for teaching your children about the election and voting process. As a parent, you know the strengths of your children and their specific educational levels. Take the ideas listed below and fit them to meet the needs of your children. For instance, if you are teaching children how to vote, you could read a book, watch a video, perform a mock vote, do a craft project to create their own ballot box and voting cards, and/or take them with you to physically vote this year. There are so many different ways to teach these concepts!
Who can vote in American elections?
This is a great question to start, this will then lead to even more questions. You can teach surface level concepts starting with this question or you can dive deep into history and explore the rights of individuals during different time periods. Can children vote? Can all Americans vote? Can non-US citizens vote?
How do we vote?
We have options in the voting procedure. What is considered the best way to vote? Are there issues with our current voting procedures? Are there voting procedures that should be discouraged? Will we always vote the same way?
What is the election process in your state?
Did you know that the election process can vary by state? Does your state hold a primary or a caucus? Is your state a closed or open primary state? When does the general election occur?
What is the difference between local, state, & national candidates?
What jobs do these candidates perform? What is their responsibility? What is not their responsibility? For whom do they work? Are local candidates more important? Are national candidates more important? Are they both important? Does it matter?
How do you register to vote?
Show them a sample registration form. How old do you have to be to fill out the form? How do you submit the form? Do you have to fill out the form multiple times? What happens after you submit the form?
Explore Voter Registration Statistics
Everyone loves statistics right? Ha. Certainly not me. It was one of my least favorite classes in college. However, it is very important for us to learn about statistics and why it provides us with valuable information. You can learn a lot about this during an election. Does everyone (who is registered to vote) actually vote? Why not? How does it affect our nation when people do not vote? Are there areas with higher voter turnout rates? Why do you think that happens? How can you encourage people to vote? Should we encourage people to vote? What percentage of registered voters are affiliated with specific political parties?
What are the differences among political parties?
How many political parties do we have in the US? Are some more dominant than others? What does it mean to be affiliated with a political party? Can you change your party affiliation? Have we always had the same political parties?
What are our rights & responsibilities as American citizens?
Where do our rights come from? How do we protect our rights? What is the difference between a right and a responsibility? Can we lose our rights? Do we have certain responsibilities to perform at specific times?
Helpful Websites To Learn More
USA.GOV : VOTING & ELECTIONS INFORMATION
USA.GOV : CONGRESSIONAL, STATE, & LOCAL ELECTIONS
U.S. CITIZENSHIP & IMMIGRATION SERVICES: RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES
USA.GOV: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PROCESS
Books for Children
FREE activity to go with HERE from TeachersPayTeachers.com
STAY TUNED FOR MY NEXT POST: Involving Your Entire Family In The Upcoming Election
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*Disclosure: Links provided in this article are of products I have personally used in my home or early childhood classroom. I believe they are beneficial items that will assist you in educating your children. These links are special Amazon affiliate links. If/when someone purchases an item using the links provided it will send a small commission to help us further produce quality content for our readers.
I like how you mentioned telling your children who can vote in America and how the voting procedure goes. Since the election is now over, I want to make sure my young kids know how important voting is these days. I’ll be sure to remember these tips so I can educate them within these next four years.