And the winner is….

And the Winner Is . . .
Voter Education Activity Guide for Early Childhood Programs

An election year provides the opportunity to teach even very young children the basics of civic responsibility.

Parental involvement helps children make the connection between the classroom and the community and sets into motion the potential for a lifetime of civic involvement. Both parents and educators should stress the privacy of an individual’s voting preference.

A child’s age and developmental stage must be considered when selecting and planning the learning activities. Very young children may only be able to grasp the concept of voter participation by selecting a favorite color or food. School-age children may be able to use the sample ballot from the newspaper for a mock election.

Care must be taken to ensure children do not feel a sense of rejection as they learn to select and support a winner. Make certain the focus stays on winning. Avoid the negative feelings and thoughts associated with the concept of losing.

Words to Know:

Election: An event where one person is chosen for a job.
Candidate: A person who wants the job.
Office: The name of the job the person wants.
Vote: The way other people choose the person who gets the job.
Ballot: The paper with the names of all of the people who want the job.
Ballot box: The place people put the paper after they vote.
Winner: The person who gets the most votes and gets the job.

Preparing for an election:

Tuesday is the day of the week traditionally reserved for voting. Begin preparing children and the classroom the week before election.

Introduce the vocabulary words. Use pictures of people who are running for office when talking about the word candidate.

Tell about what will happen in the community on election day. Who are the candidates? What office do the candidates want? Where will people vote? Do the people who vote have to tell someone the name of the person they wanted to win?

Make props for the dramatic play area. A large appliance box can become a voting booth. A smaller box or other container can serve as a ballot box.

Prepare a ballot for your election. Identify each candidate on the ballot by using the first letter of the person’s name, assigning each individual a color, or using photographs.

Introduce the concept of voting:

Elect a Snack Maker to plan special treats for election day. Two or more adults who work in the program can assume the role of candidates for office. Have each candidate visit every classroom and speak to the children. Candidates should talk with the children about the special treat they will offer on election day if elected Snack Maker. If using voting booth in the dramatic play area, have children vote one at a time. Talk again about the privacy of voting.

Counting the vote:

If possible, involve all children in counting the total vote. If this group would be too large, count in each classroom and add the totals from each class. Use a chart or graph to record votes.

As the vote is counted, talk with children using the words “most” and “least” and the phrases “smaller number of votes” and “larger number of votes.”

Announcing the winner:

Let the winner wear a special hat, crown, or costume. All candidates, including the winner, should re-visit each classroom and thank the children for their vote. Children should also be talked with about the importance of supporting the winner.

For example, a teacher might say, “I know some of you wanted Mrs. Smith to win so you could have ice cream for the special treat. But, Mrs. Jones got the most votes and we are going to have cookies. We all need to give Mrs. Jones our support and tell her how much we are looking forward to cookies this afternoon.”

Reinforcing the Concept:

Plan other voting activities during the day and, if desired, continue voting activities during the remaining days of the week. Children can vote for their favorite color, food, pet and other similar choices.

Teaching Responsibility:

Talk with the children about the responsibility that comes with winning. Remind them that the person elected Snack Maker had to prepare and serve the special treat. Talk about how important it is to elect someone you can trust. Ask how they would feel if the Snack Maker did not serve cookies and gave everyone a sour pickle instead. Play this game:

Have children hold a rope. Blindfold everyone except the child at one end of the rope who becomes the leader. Ask this child to give the other children directions to follow such as “Take one step forward” or “Stand on one foot.” After playing for a few minutes, remove the blindfolds. Let the children talk about the experience. If time permits, let other children become the leader.

Connecting with Parents:

Inform parents of plans through newsletters, daily notes and contact, or a special bulletin board.

Encourage children to talk with their parents about the Snack Maker election and the election in the community.

Remind parents to assure their children they never have to tell someone how they voted.

Have ribbons or stickers for parents to wear on Election Day or the day after that indicates they voted.

Encourage parents to emphasize that everyone’s best interest is served when winning candidates are supported.

Connecting with the Community:

Invite candidates for office to visit the program.

Place sample ballots on a parent bulletin board.

Send local newspapers a photograph showing program staff involved in planning election day activities.

Invite local media to cover the election as part of their election day news coverage.