Happy (almost) Election Day! On November 3rd, 2020, our country will be engaging in one of the most important Election Day we’ve had in the last few decades.

Ever since the 2016 Election, I have reflected a lot on my own voting education and history. What I realized was that I was rarely taught about voting in general, let alone given resources and books that reflect myself and my other BIPOC classmates. When I finally turned 18 years old, I had a lot to learn (and unlearn) about voting. To be honest, I do not think I registered to vote until I was 19 years old because I was never taught how and I never expressed interest to my parents. 

This needs to change for the future of our country! We need to engage our students and children as young as possible in this democratic process and the history behind it. I taught about the presidential election back in 2016 and have wanted to do something every year since, but have not found the right resources or inspiration. However, I knew that this year could not be another year of excuses! As an educator, I am planning on teaching about voting to my Kindergarten class and holding a mock election.

I have heard from many educators that they are in need of resources, especially resources utilizing diverse books so that our students see windows and mirrors in conversations around voting. Therefore, I am excited to share the lesson plan and materials that I made for my own class. I have broadened it based on my experiences teaching K-3 so that we have resources for our youngest future voters. In this lesson, your kiddos will learn more about voting and then hold a class mock election to practice how to register and vote. Use these free plans and materials to engage our future voters across our country!

Featured Books

I have selected two diverse books that you can use for this lesson plan. However, feel free to check out our “Diverse Books for Election Day: An Elementary School List” post for other diverse books!

Citizen Baby: My Vote, by Megan E. Bryant and Daniel Prosterman

The Spectrum of Multicultural Lit.: Representation

Age Range: 1+ years old

Citizen Baby: My Vote informs our young readers about voting. It goes through the steps and talks about the importance of being an informed voter. This book is a quick read that will ensure children’s attention is held. It also features diverse illustrations so that readers see that the right to vote is for all.

Vote for Our Future!, by Margaret McNamara

The Spectrum of Multicultural Lit.: Representation

Age Range: 4-8 years old

Margaret McNamara wrote this adorable picture book about why Stanton Elementary School closes on the first Tuesday in November every two years. The Stanton students learn that their elementary school closes to becoming a polling station so that people from all over can vote. Vote for Our Future! is a great book to inform students about voting through a relatable context, their school. It also features a diverse cast of characters!

Lesson Plan & Materials

In this lesson, students will be learning about voting and elections. The class will read a diverse book about voting (either Vote for Our Future or Citizen Baby: My Vote) and discuss what they learned using a KWL Chart. Then, students will practice casting their votes using mock Voter Registration forms and Voting Ballots. At the end, students will see the results of their mini election. 

We would love for you to use the resources here while also using your knowledge of your students/kids to meet their needs during this time. Feel free to change up the activities in our lesson plan/directions. Check out the following free resources we have created:

• Voting & Elections: Grades K-3 Lesson Plan
• Voter Registrations Forms (two to a page) for the Mock Election
• Voting Ballots (two to a page) for the Mock Election

I would LOVE to see pictures of your kiddos’ mock election or any other photos of learning happening! Please tag us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter using @ColorfulPagesOrg or email us your photos at colorfulpagesorg@gmail.com. It always warms my heart when I see people using our resources and furthering students’ access to diverse books!