Voting
2020 was a presidential election year, but elections are not just about presidents! Check out this Exploration Guide for students in middle school to learn more about how elections work, how voting has changed over time, and all the different types of elections.
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Drawing the Vote
Learn about how the history of American voting rights has shaped the way we vote today. Coinciding with the 2020 US presidential election, Drawing the Vote, an original graphic novel, looks at the history of voting rights in the United States and how it affects the way we vote today. What happened during the 2016 election that has only happened five other times in history? Does this make it feel like your vote counts?
Format: Downloadable Graphic Novel
View Drawing the Vote -
Primary Elections Explained | CGP Grey
Ever wonder how the two candidates get picked for the election? This video explains how primary elections and caucus work to pick the top two candidates for the presidential election.
View Primary Elections Explained | CGP Grey -
The Electoral College: Why Such a Big Debate? | Above the Noise
What do you think about the electoral college? Do you think it is necessary? What, if any, changes would you make if you could?
View The Electoral College: Why Such a Big Debate? | Above the Noise -
PBS Electoral Decoder | PBS LearningMedia
Use this cartogram to explore all 58 past presidential elections from 1789-2016. Learn about the significance of the Electoral College by comparing the map and the electoral cartogram. Delve further into history by reading a brief overview and looking at key events for every past election. Then, use the "Presidential Predictor" to try and decide the outcome of the next election. Who will win? Who will lose? How would you strategize a political campaign to win the presidency?
View PBS Electoral Decoder | PBS LearningMedia -
Elections - Classroom Presentation | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress
Elections have always been part of the United States democracy. They have not always been equitable in the past or even present day. At this website you can learn what qualifications you need to become president. Did you know you had to be a certain age? What age is it? Also check out some of the challenges that have affected elections in the past. Do you think that there is a challenge to elections this year that will need to be overcome?
View Elections - Classroom Presentation | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress -
Scholastic Kids Press
The 2020 election coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide social justice protests after the death of George Floyd. See what your peers wrote about the 2020 election on this website with current event articles, written by middle schoolers.
View Scholastic Kids Press -
Video tour of King County Elections | King County
Ever wonder what happens to the ballot after it gets dropped off at a ballot box or when it's mailed. Check out this video which follows a ballot through the process of getting counted. When we think about voting, we often only think about the presidential election, but did you know we have local elections too? Learn about voting in King County: from the mayors of local cities, to the school board members that make decisions that affect your school.
View Video tour of King County Elections | King County -
Elections and Voting | WA Secretary of State
Visit this page to learn all about how to vote in Washington state- from the referendums, to the school board members that make decisions that affect your school.
View Elections and Voting | WA Secretary of State -
Voting and Elections |usa.gov
Learn more about our national elections by exploring this website. Which elected official do you think impacts you the most? Did you know you can write to elected officials even though you are not old enough to vote? Your voice could make a difference!
View Voting and Elections |usa.gov -
Election Vocabulary | Scholastic
Some of the words you may hear during election season can be confusing. Take a look at these different words so that you can become more familiar with the different terms used around elections.
View Election Vocabulary | Scholastic