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The U.S. Government for Kids and Teens: Voting

Resources for learning about the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the three branches of government, national symbols, and more!

Voting Vocabulary

  1. absentee ballot: used to vote when someone cannot physically be at the polling place on election day
  2. amendment: a change to the U.S. Constitution
  3. ballot: a sheet of paper, cardboard card, or electronic instrument used to cast a vote
  4. bipartisan: supported by both political parties
  5. campaign: a race between candidates for elective office
  6. candidate: a person who seeks or is put forward by others for a political office
  7. caucus: a meeting of members of a political party, usually to appoint representatives to party positions
  8. constituent: a person represented by an elected official
  9. delegate: one sent to act as a representative for a group
  10. democracy: government in which the people hold the ruling power
  11. democrat: a member of the Democratic party, one of the two major political parties
  12. elect: to choose by voting
  13. electoral college: a group of representatives chosen by voters to elect the president and the vice president of the United States
  14. electorate: those eligible to vote
  15. exit poll: a poll taken of a small percentage of voters as they leave the polls, used to forecast the outcome of an election or determine the reasons for voting decisions
  16. general election: statewide elections held so that registered voters can decide the state and national officials who will head the government
  17. incumbent: someone currently holding an office
  18. independent: a voter who does not belong to a political party
  19. lame duck: an elected official still in office who has not been reelected for another term, or who is resigning at the end of the term
  20. nominate: to name as a candidate for an election
  21. party: an organization working to gain political power or control
  22. platform: a document stating the aims and principles of a political party
  23. poll: the place where votes are cast and registered, or a survey of the public
  24. polling place: a place where votes are cast
  25. popular vote: the vote for a candidate or issue made by the qualified voters, as opposed to a vote made by elected representatives 
  26. primary: an election for choosing the candidates who will run in the final election
  27. propaganda: ideas or information that a group of people deliberately spread to try to influence the thinking of other people
  28. register: the process by which a persons’ name is added to the list of eligible voters
  29. Republican: a member of the Republican political party, one of the two major political parties
  30. returns: tallies of votes cast in an election after the polls have been closed for voting
  31. running mate: a presidential candidate will choose another individual to run for vice-president
  32. suffrage: the right to vote
  33. swing voter: a person who is not a firm supporter of any political party, and whose vote in an election is difficult to predict.
  34. tally: process of totaling votes.
  35. term: the amount of time a politician stays in office before another election takes place
  36. third party: a political party other than the Republican and Democratic parties
  37. vote: a valid mark on an official ballot indicating the voter's preference for a particular candidate or ballot question
  38. voting booth: an enclosed area in which a person stands for privacy while casting a ballot

Sources: Gallopade Teacher ResourcesGeneration NationScholasticUnited States Election Assistance Commission

Libby

Hoopla

Explora - Elementary

Explore a large assortment of resources designed for K-5 students to help them learn about voting. Explora - Elementary contains relevant articles from children's magazines, ebooks, and reference materials. 

Note: Articles can be translated into over 130 language for ESL students. When accessing articles, select Online Full Text versions rather than PDF versions when available to utilize the translation feature. Open the Online Full Text version of the article, and then click the globe icon in the top right corner to access the translation feature.

Explora - Secondary Schools

Discover a large collection of ebooks, articles, and reference materials all about voting, perfect for middle and high school students. Below is a sample of available titles.

Note: Articles can be translated into over 130 language for ESL students. When accessing articles, select Online Full Text versions rather than PDF versions when available to utilize the translation feature. Open the Online Full Text version of the article, and then click the globe icon in the top right corner to access the translation feature.

Election Day for Kids from Twinkl Teaching Resources

The Electoral College

Did you know that the President and Vice President of the United States are not chosen based on who wins the most votes? Instead, the they are decided by the Electoral College. The Electoral College is a group of people who vote for the President and Vice President on behalf of the people. It's a complicated and confusing process. Learn more about the electoral college with the resources below:

U.S. History in Context

African American Voting Experience

Explore these databases for articles related to voting rights and experiences for African Americans. These databases are suitable for teens and up.

World Book

Read or listen to reference entries about voting, plus see the correlated Missouri Learning Standards for each article. Also, browse art featuring the president. Select articles from World Book Kids for students in grades K-5, World Book Student for students in grades 6-12, and Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos for students in grades K-5.

Kanopy

Scholastic Teachables

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