Get Kids Involved in This Fall's Presidential Campaigns with Great Ideas for Hosting Their Own Mock Campaigns and Elections
You can encourage young people to host their own mock election at
home, in school, at your local library, or at your local community center!
Depending upon the number and ages of kids within your group, you may want to
organize a full-fledged campaign and election with complete media coverage or a
simpler voter registration drive and election day.
Discuss with young people the presidential campaign and
election process and all the activities that are involved in getting someone
elected as president of the United States. (Refer to "Help Wanted: President of the United States," "Persuading the People: Campaigning for President," and "Getting the Votes and Getting Elected: The Popular Vote vs. The Electoral College"
all on OurWhiteHouse.org for more information.) Then determine the activities you would like to include
in your own mock election.
You might consider grouping kids and their responsibilities into three groups, picking and choosing the responsibilities you want to assign based on the time and resources available:
- Campaign Committees
- Media Group
- Get Out the Vote Committee
For more ideas and instructions on how to help your kids organize their own campaigns and election, check out the NCBLA's "Host a Mock Election" activity in the free and comprehensive resource Race to the Ballot: The Our White House Presidential Campaign and Election Kit for Kids!
In this election year, the NCBLA has created the
Presidential Campaign and Election Kit to help all adults who live and work with
young people engage with our kids in informed discussions about the presidential
campaigns and election, teach them to think critically, and energize them to
learn more about the political process in America. This Kit includes:
- Exclusive articles regarding such topics as presidential job requirements, the history of presidential campaigns, and the evolution of voting rights.
- Activities to use with young people in the classroom or at home.
- Discussion questions you can share during class, around the dinner table, and at a Scout or club meeting.
To check out the complete contents of Race to the Ballot: The Our White House Presidential Campaign and Election Kit for Kids, click here.
The anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking
Out and its coordinating educational website OurWhiteHouse.org provide the perfect
springboard for engaging youngsters in the discussion of current events,
history, and the importance of the democratic vote in America. Our White House was created by the National Children's Book and
Literacy Alliance as a collaborative effort by over one hundred
award-winning authors and illustrators to encourage
young people to read more about America’s rich history and culture; to think
more about America’s future; to talk more about our nation’s leadership; and to
act on their own beliefs and convictions, ensuring this great democratic
experiment will survive and thrive.
Our White
House is available
in both hardcover and paperback.
in both hardcover and paperback.
Ask for it a library
or bookstore near you!
