They may not be old enough to drive, but for a day, they are old enough to vote.
Students at all levels of the Talawanda School District will be submitting their own votes Nov. 6 - a day before the actual election, because school is not in session Nov. 7 - through the national program Kids Voting USA.
"The idea behind (Kids Voting) is if you learn to value voting as a child you will do it as an adult," said Sondra Engel, of the League of Women Voters of Oxford.
Kids Voting USA is an organization that aims to increase civic involvement by encouraging participation from an early age. It provides resources that can be integrated into social studies curricula, as well as mock voting materials for Election Day.
The program is implemented in many states, and was first brought to Oxford in 1999. According to Engel, she and current Oxford Vice Mayor Prue Dana approached Talawanda after learning that the program could teach children the value of public participation without the school district incurring costs.
Engel referenced the fact that voters ages 18 to 30 are the least likely to turn out to the polls, and said that the program hopes to change this trend.
The students vote for real candidates and issues - this year's ballot will include Ohio's gubernatorial candidates, among others - as well as issues invented to appeal to particular age groups. According to Jean Eagle; director of curriculum, intervention and
partnerships for Talawanda; these have included referendums on improving cafeteria food and year-round schooling.
"(These issues are) particularly engaging for our younger students," Eagle said.
Kids Voting has programs for students K-12, catered to specific age groups. Younger children learn what it means to be a leader and the importance of voting, while older students have more in-depth conversations about specific candidates and issues. With high school students, and particularly 18-year-olds, Eagle said their votes seem to be an accurate a reflection of what they would do at the polls.
Initially, the program involved students accompanying their parents to the polls to cast their fictitious ballots, but has since been updated to include online voting.
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According to Eagle, the original format was doubly beneficial because it boosted adult voter turnout while simultaneously teaching their children a lesson. But the shift to the computer was made to track results more easily as well as with an eye to the future.
"(It is a fair assumption that) within a few years we're going to be voting with computers and that is a skill that we want our students to be cognizant of," Eagle said.
In terms of tracking results, Eagle said students were interested in seeing whether their votes aligned with the actual results of legal voters.
"Students are especially interested in presidential years," Eagle said.
Engel, however, added that the midterm elections offer students a unique, more personal opportunity.
"It's wonderful in the years when you have local City Council and school board members, because the kids know those names," Engel said.
Eagle, who is also co-chair of the Miami-Talawanda Partnership, said that Miami University is not directly involved with Kids Voting at this time.
However, she said, some Miami education majors do become familiar with the project.
"Some of our Miami University student teachers have an opportunity to experience the program as well," Eagle said.
Oxford's Kids Voting program is funded by a grant through the Oxford Community Foundation that was endowed by Butler Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. and the League of Women Voters.
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