This
fall, many school kids in Missouri will get a chance to
learn more about the general election process in their classrooms.
Then, they'll vote on Nov. 4 in a simulated election and
get to compare their votes with adults.
Kids Voting Missouri encourages Missouri schools to study
the election process and follow the races for president,
congress and the state offices. Many schools will hold mock
conventions.
Then, on Nov. 4, these kids vote on the same ballots that
adults use. In some cases, the kids' voting booths are near
the same polling places that adults will use.
The
Kids Voting Missouri program is held every two years, which
coincides with the general and off-year federal elections.
Sandra Diamond is the director of Kids Voting Missouri.
She is with the Citizen Education Clearing House (CECH)
at the College of Education at University of Missouri-St.
Louis.
She said, this year, 300,000 Missouri kids are expected
to participate. In the St. Louis metro area, 30 school districts
are signed up with some 216,000 kids set to get involved.
The Ritenour School District was the first district to
signup when Kids Voting Missouri started in 1996. The Clayton,
Ferguson-Florissant and University City districts this year
will celebrate their 10th anniversary of participation.
This year, there was a "Register to Vote" kickoff rally
for St. Louis city school kids and parents at the Schnucks
Markets store on Lindell Blvd. St. Louis Cardinals' mascot,
Fredbird, was on hand Saturday, Aug. 23, for a joint kids
and adult voter registration.
A "Red, White & Blue Week" will be held Sept. 15-19 as
the suggested kickoff for Kids Voting activities in participating
schools.
That leaves seven weeks for in-school election rallies
and conventions leading up to the general election on Tuesday,
Nov. 4.
Schools will include classes on citizenship, the history
of voting, candidates and other ballot issues. The kids
will also get instruction in filling out sample voter registration
cards.
After
the deadline for registration on Oct. 8, the Kids Voting
Missouri emphasis will shift to candidates and issues in
the 2008 general election. The kids also will get a look
at the 2008 Kids Voting Missouri ballot.
Young
Saint Louis.com has covered past Kids Voting
Missouri campaigns. In a story in 2006, YSL.com
covered campaigning at the Iveland Elementary School in
the Ritenour District.
In addition to the federal and state candidates and issues,
the Iveland kids also debated a controversial local school
issue. The kids voted on whether their school should require
mandatory school uniforms.
Schools are encouraged to include local issues in political
discussions during Kids Voting Missouri. (To read the
whole article, visit www.youngsaintlouis.com
and then click on Past
Stories and look at November,
2006.)
After
the 2008 elections are held, YSL.com
will include an article in the December edition comparing
kids voting results with those of adults in the same districts.
(You'll be able to get all results, by precincts, of
Kids Voting 2008 balloting on www.umkc.edu/kidsvoting.
Then, you can compare those vote totals with the 2008 precinct
votes by adults by going to www.sos.mo.gov.
That's the Missouri Secretary of State's website and it
has complete election results, usually the next day.)
In the past, some of the kids voting patterns have coincided
with those of adult voters. But, sometimes they don't.
For instance, in 2006 balloting, adults rejected an 80-cent
per pack increase in the state cigarette tax. However, if
Missouri kids had made the decision, it would have been
different. The kids favored the big boost in the cigarette
tax.
But, in the 2006 election for the U.S. Senate, both adults
and kids favored Claire McCaskill over U.S. Rep. Jim Talent.
(To read the YSL.com
comparative voting story, go to Past
Stories and look at December,
2006)
Does this intense look at voting by school kids lead to
more participation when the kids become adults?
On the Kids Voting Missouri website, the sponsors cite
a couple of research studies.
In 2004, the Civic Mission of Schools organization found,
when students participate in simulated election activities,
they are more likely to vote as adults.
In 2004, The Center for Information and Research on Civic
Engagement pointed out that five of nine states with the
highest young voter turnout in general elections were Kids
Voting USA states. Missouri ranked 9th in number of voters
in the 18-24 age category.
The Kids Voting USA organization has 30 affiliated state
organizations.
The 22 St. Louis area school districts that are participating
again in Kids Voting Missouri include:
Clayton, Bayless, Ferguson-Florissant, Fox C-6, Francis
Howell, Hazelwood, Jennings, Ladue, Lindberg, Maplewood-Richmond
Heights, Mehlville, Meramec Valley R-III, Normandy, Northwest
R-I, Parkway, Ritenour, Riverview Gardens, Rockwood, St.
Louis Public School, University City, Warren County R-III
and Winfield R-IV.
The new schools joining for the first time are:
Chesterfield Day School, Confluence Academies, Ethel Hedgeman
Lyle School, Imagine Academy of Academic Success, Kingston
K-14, Pattonville, Rohan Woods and Valley Park.
