Imagine your students actively participating in discussions about real-world issues, debating current events, casting mock ballots, and grasping the impact of their voices. Effective classroom voting activities can transform your students' understanding of voting and are especially meaningful during election season. This article shares the benefits of teaching students about voting to boost civic engagement, critical thinking, and student responsibility and offers a free printable kit for elementary teachers easily customized for school elections. Rock the vote in your classroom this fall!
Teaching students about voting through engaging classroom voting activities instills a sense of responsibility and involvement. Research by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement shows that exposing kids to developmentally appropriate civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions—beginning in elementary school and scaffolded throughout their schooling—can spark a lifelong interest in civic participation. Early civic education, including classroom voting activities, leads to more engaged and responsible voters in adulthood.
Classroom voting activities are not only about the act of voting but also about developing critical thinking skills—the abilities to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information in a logical way. Discussing candidates, issues, and policies encourages students to evaluate information, consider diverse perspectives, and make informed choices.
Media literacy (the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in various forms) is an essential component of civics education. Media literacy education can help students recognize how media shapes opinions and influences voting behavior. By reflecting on and analyzing media messages, students become more aware of and informed about the factors that may affect their choices. Overall, integrating media literacy into classroom voting activities prepares students to engage thoughtfully with media and make informed decisions in both mock and real voting scenarios.
Early classroom voting activities prepare your students for the role of informed voters who understand their rights and responsibilities. From learning how to register to vote, to appreciating their individual impact in a democracy, these lessons are crucial for shaping responsible citizens.
What is the class’s favorite snack? Which field trip would second graders prefer? Taking polls and creating opportunities for simple votes in your class or school is a great way to introduce students to the concept of voting and to build a culture of democratic citizenship in the classroom.
A classic and engaging choice for classroom voting activities is hosting mock elections. Teachers can provide the structure and choice or let students decide. As students brainstorm and debate, they experience firsthand the impact of voting on real issues, whether they are considering a class pet or ways to reduce the school's carbon footprint. Let students campaign for their candidates or choices. Set up an election headquarters or polling station in your classroom or school. Promote the election with details of when and how you will vote and then make the election as authentic as possible. This hands-on approach provides invaluable lessons about the voting process for students, from considering issues that impact their lives and learning, to the importance of a secret ballot and tallying votes.
Incorporate debates into your classroom voting activities to foster engagement. Host debates on current events or age-appropriate topics. For example, debating whether to have a “free Friday” each month can teach students how to articulate arguments and consider opposing views. Scale down debate activities for younger students, providing a lot of scaffolding. Scale up the debate activities for older kids in the middle school grades. No matter the age of the students, debate helps them understand different viewpoints and the significance of informed decision-making.
Bring voting concepts to life with interactive tools and simulations. Online platforms or apps that offer virtual elections or simulations make learning about voting dynamic and engaging. Tools like iCivics provide games and simulations that illustrate government and voting processes in an interactive way.
Integrate voting lessons with data analysis projects for an excellent STEM connection. After a class vote on a fun topic, such as favorite movies or snacks, activate math skills to create graphs and charts. This approach connects voting to practical math skills and makes the concept more tangible. After a class-wide or school-wide election, students can analyze election data, graph results, and discuss statistical significance, blending math and critical thinking with civics.
Integrate civics lessons into your lessons. Even if you lack dedicated social studies time, you can creatively utilize literacy lessons to build civics knowledge, use project-based learning, and these other strategies to teach civics and voting.
Look for age-appropriate books that explain voting concepts in an accessible and entertaining way. Resources like the iCivics Readers, developed in collaboration with civics experts, engage K–5 students in understanding civic responsibilities, constitutional law, and more. (Teachers and librarians can also explore the full collection of iCivics Readers on Edelweiss.)
Create stations in your school or classroom for a realistic voting experience. Spaces might include campaign headquarters, polling stations, and mini election stations. For hands-on voting activities, gather basic supplies like paper for ballots, markers, and a ballot box. Grab your Classroom Voting Kit for essential printable resources.
Incorporating classroom voting activities isn’t just about teaching students the mechanics of voting; it’s also about inspiring and empowering them. Classroom voting activities will help create a culture in which students learn how to listen to and talk with each other respectfully, participate in decision-making, cooperate, compromise, and share. By integrating these classroom voting activities, you can help build informed, responsible citizens who understand the power of their voice and are excited about their role in democracy, today and in the future!