Yesterday, citizens across the United States voted in midterm elections, filling all of the seats in the House of Representatives, some seats in the Senate, and state and local offices. It is a right and a privilege that not all people in the world share. And it is something for which many people in the United States have struggled and fought.
by Library of Congress via ProQuest SIRS Discoverer
Do your students understand the magnitude of elections and the significance of casting a vote?A look at20th-century voting historymay be a good start. Less than 100 years ago,women in the United States could not vote. They did not recieve this right until 1920 with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. And less than 50 years ago, before theVoting Rights Act of 1965, people were openly restricted from voting in some parts of the country because of the color of their skin.
Despite these hard-won victories of the past, little more than half of eligible citizens vote in most elections. Since this is the case, young students may need to learn about voting and elections at school.
Do your students know what it means to take part in the democratic process?It means being informed about candidates and their political backgrounds and beliefs. It means registering to vote. It means voting early, sending in an absentee ballot, or going to the polls on election day. It means stepping up to a voting booth, making choices, and having your voice heard.
During the month of November,SIRS Discovererfocuses on the history of U.S. voting and elections. The product’sSpotlight of the Monthpresents articles and Web sites on the Electoral College, the Fifteenth Amendment, women’s suffrage, the evolution of voting methods, and more.
Help your students explore the democratic process and find out what it means to be an involved citizen.
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