Are you going to have a mini-vote in your center or classroom tomorrow? Young children don’t need to take on the adult worries of the actual election, but having a small election for something small and meaningful to them is a great way to introduce the democratic process, teach them about the “majority,” and offer them the opportunity to count votes.

You might need to get creative with this idea, because it will be most meaningful if it actually happens tomorrow, when the grown-ups in the children’s’ lives are also voting. Think of something in your classroom that needs to be decided on and create ballots for the choices. Create a voting booth where children can take their turns filling out their ballots and putting them into the ballot box ( a simple shoe box with a slot in the top will do just fine).

Make it simple: They can vote between a walk around the block or a walking trip to a local playground. They can vote about a name for something in the classroom – a class pet, or a nickname for the teacher. They can vote about their favorite flavor of ice cream. Be sure to draw pictures on the ballots so they know what they are choosing between.

Once everyone has voted, take the ballot box out and together with the children count the votes. They can see how democracy works when you explain that the most votes wins.