Hi Reader,

There are just 20 days left until the midterm elections, but that's plenty of time to do a few voting related activities at home or in your classroom.

​Been thinking about getting my Past and Present Fights for Voting Rights Activity Pack for Kids and Teens? Save 20% for one week only! ​

Here are four activities to try at home, and four activities to try in the classroom. A star next to the activity indicates that my voting rights pack has resources to help.

Activities to try at home

**Make space for big feelings the election may be bringing up.

I'm naming this one right off the bat because you may be feeling anxiety, hope, anger, frustration, fear, or any number of things. Even if you're not talking openly about it, your kids are likely picking up on your emotions.

Try doing some hopeful imagining through whatever kind of art appeals to your family. What do you want your community to look like?

Try out mindful exercises before or after turning on the news or having an election-related discussion.

**Make "remember to vote" doorhangers and distribute some on your block.

Lots of people who would never skip a Presidential election don't remember to vote in midterm elections. Not only does Congress make our laws; there may be other important races on your ballot like your Governor.

My Past and Present Fights for Voting Rights pack includes doorhangers kids can color and sign, "from your neighbor who's too young to vote and really hopes you will!" There are also blank doorknockers for kids who want total creative control.

**Find out what your state's voting rules are.

Because I live in the South, researching different states' voting rules while I was creating the activity pack filled me with serious jealousy. There's such a huge variation, and it makes a big difference in who shows up to vote!

In some states, you can register to vote on election day, but in others the cutoff is a full 30 days before the election! ID requirements make a big difference too. As you find out what the rules are where you live, talk about whether your child thinks they are fair or not.

**Learn about why voting maps matter.

Gerrymandering may be a big word, but it's a topic kids can grasp because it's unfair. Kids have such a strong sense of fairness! How maps are drawn also has a long history of racial injustice in the United States. With the Supreme Court's decision about the Voting Rights Act earlier this year, maps that discriminate against Black and Brown voters are going to become much more common.

Activities to use in the classroom

**Make a voting rights timeline (and make sure it goes beyond the 1960s!)

When I was creating the voting rights timeline activity in my pack, it was so clear that the fight for voting equality has been an up-and-down struggle, not one continuous arc of progress.

State laws, Supreme Court decisions, Constitutional amendments, and federal laws have all impacted who can vote and how easy or hard it is for various groups to elect the candidates of their choice.

**Explore solutions states can embrace to make voting more accessible.

Voter fraud is almost non-existent in the United States (despite some politicians' claims), and we have one of the lowest voter turnout rates of any wealthy country.

However, many states have adopted voting by mail for all and other regulations that encourage people to cast a ballot.

Ask your learners to research the candidates' positions for one race on your ballot.

What can they find out about whether the candidates stand on 2 - 3 issues that are important to the student? Are there specific policies the candidates are committed to supporting, or are their positions vague?

To extend the learning, you could invite students to write what their platform would be on the issues if they were running for office.

Learn about ballot initiatives for your state or city.

There will be 3 local referendums and 3 state constitutional amendments on my ballot, and my guess is that many voters will have a hard time understanding what exactly they are voting for or against. (I suspect this might be on purpose!)

If there are any ballot initiatives coming up in your community, learners can research what various groups are saying about them. What will the amendment or referendum prohibit or allow? Is their vague language? What could the consequence of that be?

​There's still time to learn about voting rights and elections. Save 20% on Past and Present Fights for Voting Rights for one week only! ​

Happy learning,

Rebekah

P.S. Not sure if Past and Present Voting Rights will fit your needs? You can download sample activities and the table of contents. Check it out before the sale ends on Wednesday, October 22nd!

P.P.S. Because learning and action go in hand, I'm donating 10% of all sales to The Equity Alliance's Tennessee Black Voter Project.

​**Starred activities indicate that my Past and Present Fights for Voting Rights activity pack includes templates, instructions, and/or recommended books, videos, and discussion questions for this idea.

Rebekah Gienapp (she/her/hers) | rebekahgienapp.com | Connect on Instagram | Coffees for Gaza | Knit 4 Justice​