Youth Engagement in Elections

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth

Year: 2023

The San Benito County Elections Department youth engagement expands the department’s outreach beyond the legal voting age. If a child participates in the voting activities than the child will be more likely to have a positive mindset about elections and become a voter when they are of age. While participating in the voting activities children will be exposed to common election vocabulary, election procedures, and engage in conversation that lead to take action as future voters. The election department saw the need to extend the outreach methods to community members that are under 18 years old that will soon be of voting age. It is because of this need that the development of the Kids Voting Activity and Kids Voting was implemented throughout the county. The Department of Elections designed the activity book with the goal of expanding election education in a way that was digestible for young students, but in the process discovered the booklet opens the door to important conversations with students. Kids Voting was introduced at all Vote Center to help to establish the importance of voting in youth of all ages. This experience allows young students to physically go through the process of voting in person and turning in their ballot to the official ballot box.