By Laura Allen
N.C. Cooperative Extension

It’s the Sunday before Election Day. Every time I have driven by an early voting site in the last couple of weeks, and on the day that I went to vote, there has been a long line of local citizens doing their civic duty. Every election is important, but a presidential election year seems to bring out even more voters. I am glad that our community’s citizens are being engaged in the election process. But, how are we engaging our youth in the election process?

Even though we must be 18 years old to vote, it’s important that youth are learning about the voting process now so that they can be educated, informed, civically-minded citizens in the future. I know many adults take their children to vote with them if they are able, which is one way for youth to begin to understand the process. If you are looking for another option to engage your children, look no further than this upcoming opportunity with Rowan County 4-H.

Again this year, North Carolina 4-H is partnering with Kids Voting North Carolina to offer a kids-only voting opportunity. Any school aged child that is less than 18 years of age is eligible to “vote” in this election. This event will be held at N.C. Cooperative Extension, Rowan County Center on Tuesday, Nov. 5 (Election Day) from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Participating youth will visit a voting booth and use an iPad to vote on a ballot that mimics the adult election ballot for 2023. After voting, the child will get their own “I Voted” sticker. Youths do not have to be a current 4-H’er to participate.

Kids voting programs are practical and engaging for today’s youth and can make a difference in a child’s life now and into the future. I’ve written about the benefits of kids voting programs before, and these benefits are just so good that they must be shared again. Benefits include:

• Encouraging participation: Kids voting programs encourage young people to become actively involved in the democratic process. By participating in mock elections, youths can develop a sense of empowerment and responsibility, which may motivate them to participate in real elections when they are old enough to vote.
• Civic responsibility: These programs teach children the importance of civic responsibility and the impact their choices can have on their community and society. It instills the idea that every vote matters.
• Critical thinking: Kids voting programs often involve discussions and debates about various issues and candidates; this may happen at home, at school or among friends and family. This encourages critical thinking, as they learn to analyze information, evaluate candidates and their platforms and make informed decisions.
• Voter turnout: Research has shown that students who participate in kids voting programs are more likely to become active voters when they reach the legal voting age. These programs can help boost voter turnout in the future.
• Reducing voter apathy: By engaging young people early and emphasizing the importance of voting, kids voting programs can help reduce voter apathy and help voters to see that their vote does make a difference.
• Building good citizenship habits: Participating in kids voting programs can instill good citizenship habits, such as being informed about current events, respecting the rights of others and valuing the principles of democracy.
• Strengthening democracy: Kids voting programs contribute to the strength and vitality of democratic societies by cultivating informed and engaged citizens.

Overall, kids voting programs are an effective way to prepare the next generation of voters by encouraging active and informed participation in the electoral process. And we want your child to be involved.

What do you need to do for your child to participate in Kids Voting NC 4-H-Rowan?

1. Go to our website and find the Election Guide created for children/teens to help them research the candidates. Provide this resource to help your children research the candidates prior to coming to vote. There are pictures of the candidates and links to find more information on each candidate. There is also lots of educational information about the election process, the duties of the office, important issues, how voting works and more. The direct link to our page devoted to Kids Voting NC 4-H-Rowan: https://rowan.ces.ncsu.edu/2022/11/2024nc4-hkidsvoting-rowan/
2. Bring your children to vote at the Rowan County Cooperative Extension office from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Our address is 2727 Old Concord Road in Salisbury. We will be set up in the lobby. This is the only Kids Voting North Carolina location that is set up in the county. (Please note that this building is also an actual precinct, so please be mindful of that when coming into the building).
3. What to expect when you arrive:
   1. Children will first “register” to vote by filling out a card to collect some information.
   2. They will go to a private voting booth.
   3. An iPad containing the ballot will be set up in the voting booth (the ballot looks very similar to the adult ballot, though candidate pictures are provided for many offices). Youth voters will click the ones they want to vote for and submit the ballot at the end. 4-H’ers will be present to assist the youth voters if they need help reading the ballot or working the iPad.
   4. Each youth voter will receive a special “I Voted” sticker.
   5. Votes will be tallied and on the following day, the kids voting results will be posted on our website and emailed directly to those who participated.

Keep in mind that Nov. 5 is an E-learning Day for Rowan-Salisbury Schools. This is a perfect way for your child to experience hands-on learning while they are away from school.

We look forward to seeing lots of Rowan youth voters at this event!

4-H is the youth development component of Cooperative Extension. Any youths ages 5-18 (as of January 1) are invited to enroll and participate in 4-H. Visit us at 2727-A Old Concord Road in Salisbury or go to rowan.ces.ncsu.edu. For questions or more information, contact 704-216-8970 or laura_allen@ncsu.edu. You can also follow Rowan County 4-H Program on Facebook, @Rowan4h on Twitter, or rowan_4h on Instagram.

Laura Allen is 4-H agent with the Rowan County Extension.