2008 Kids Voting Photos and Comments

Thank you to all the volunteers who submitted photos of the activities on Election Day 2008.  They are all posted on the Kids Voting Rochester Picasa page, located here:  http://picasaweb.google.com/kidsvotingrochester

In all more than 4000 ballots were cast, and the program was a great success!

Kids Voting Rochester 2008 Comments at the polls

Kids Comments:

This election was intense!
Superfantastic!
Kids Vote rocks!
That was a blast!
Kids Vote is really a cool idea!
Go Obama!
I liked the way it was set up with the pictures
Vote for that one, she’s our neighbor
I would never vote for ..(Mom clamped hand over mouth)
I want to vote!  Mommy and Daddy get to vote on this side then you get to vote on the other side.
A little three year old boy, upon receiving his ballot exclaimed excitedly, “I wanna vote for Barack!”  A child standing by him with a frowning face, said, ” I voted for the other guy”
I did Barack Obama
This class is really great!
Which one’s the nice guy, Mommy?
I want to vote for Mommy
Mommy, I want to do it by myself!
Oh goody, flags!
This is so cool, Mommy!
It’s fun voting for president
I already got one from school
Thank you
I get to vote in here!
I’m really tired of all that Democrat stuff.
This guy is really good (pointing to picture) and this guy is really bad.
That was fun!
I voted!
I don’t know which one to pick
My sticker is cooler
No Daddy, you pick!
Do THEY know who I voted for?
Should I put my name on it?
The adults need pictures too!
Mom, go away!  I can do this myself!
Today’s the day, Dad!
What’s a precinct?  Sounds like a jail.
That’s him, Daddy!  That’s the guy I like!
Where’s the circle for Obama?
Do I have to circle the dude’s face?
Kids Voting makes the election more fair.
I love this cool thing!
Thank you for letting me vote today – age 5
Geez, I hope I don’t get it wrong.  I don’t like tests!
I always vote for people with cool names.
Mom, is that one (points to a picture) a lady? OK!
Now I can go eat!
I only want a sticker!
Yes, I get extra credit!
In my school Barack was the highest
Thank you for letting me vote today

Comments from Adults:

There were several comments from parents that thought this was a wonderful experience.
A poll worker wrote that he/she observed after two children voted, their mother took them to the side and explained the entire adult process.  She told how similar the two procedures were.  What a great educational experience.
One child came in all dressed up to vote.
That was really cool, thanks – Mom
“Oh c’mon, do it, you can handle it” -Mom
Do you keep track of how many kids voted?
Will this be reported somewhere?

A New Day…

Our day has come and gone, and I want to thank all of you that made it a success. To all of the kids and their families that went out and voted, to all of the 300+ volunteers, to the poll captains, to the steering committee, to Joel, to Julie, to Debbie, and to Judy, thank you! I am so proud of everything that we accomplished as a community.

Though November 4th has passed, our democracy is alive and just as strong as ever. We have a new President Elect, Senator Obama, who is eager to take over our country. No matter who you are, or what your political views are, you must recognize that November 4th, 2008 is a day that forever changed history. By electing an African American president we proved to ourselves, and other nations, that the end of our civil rights movement has truly come. To people of this new generation, discrimination based upon race is simply not an issue. While watching President Elect Obama give his victory speech, I teared up. I was emotional because I was proud of what our nation did. We have reached a spot we could have never dreamed of just a few years ago. So whether you support President Elect Obama, or whether you support Senator McCain, be proud. Be proud to be an American, and be proud that you live in a country where no matter who you are, and no matter what the color of your skin, you can truly achieve anything you put your mind to.

Election Day is Here!

This is a great day in Rochester!  Thousands of school kids will have the opportunity to vote alongside their parents in this historic election.  Thank you to the 375 or so volunteers who are giving their time and of themselves to help with this important effort.

Kids Voting tables will be staffed from 7-9 this morning, and from 3-8 PM this afternoon and evening.  Parents, remember to take your kids with you to vote today!

There were people in line at Holy Spirit Catholic Church (Rochester Ward 3, precinct 3) at 6:30 this morning.  The first Kids Voting Ballot was cast a few minutes after the polls opened at 7:00 AM.

I’ve called in to all of the local radio stations with live morning shows to remind parents that their kids can vote too!  I’ve even submitted something to be posted on the Post-Bulletin’s live blog.  Check out Jeff Kiger’s wall to wall online election coverage here:

http://www.postbulletin.com/blogs/live/110408election.asp

-Joel Ott  8:28 AM 11/4/2008

11/4/2008 Rochester Ward 3 Precinct 3

Kids Voting Rochester Kick-off 2008!!!!

Katie Laures speaking at the Kids Voting Rochester kickoff event September 19, 2008

A copy of the speech that I gave at the kick-off ceremony!!!

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union…what great words, huh? Those are the first few words of the Constitution of the United states.

As an American citizen, we have a lot of rights that are defined in that constitution. One of the biggest rights and arguably, most important,  is the right that we have to vote. In Rochester, we are lucky enough to have a great program that encourages this-not only for kids, but for parents as well. I first got involved in KVR in the 2006 election. I had always had a passion for government and the voting process.  I knew that I wanted to have a big part in this program because I knew it was going to be successful-and guess what? It was! About 3, 800 kids came to vote for the first time. Some were a bit apprehensive, some were very nervous, and some were just so excited. The look of gratification and accomplishment on their face after they had voted for the first time was priceless. I knew right away that this program would be special to me for a long time to come

Today in America, we go about living our day to day lives and I think that we sometimes take for granted just how good we have it. I mean sure, we may not be able to afford the latest computer game, or the nicest car or even the biggest house, but those are just material things. As a democratic nation, we have the right to elect our own representatives and leaders. We have the right to speak freely about what we believe. And we have the ever important right to vote.  KV not only teaches kids about the election process and the voting system, it also teaches them about that right to vote. It teaches kids that no matter whom you are, you have a voice to be heard.

Dwight D Eisenhower once said “The future of this republic is in the hands of the American voter.”

Well, the future of this nation is most certainly in the hands of our youth. By starting the voting process with them now, they will learn repetition and hopefully voting on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November will become a routine for them. I’m so excited to be a part of  KV 2008 and I can’t wait to see what this election has in store for us!!

Alright people, so not it’s up to you! Make this a great year for Kids Voting Rochester!!!!! Let’s break our record…no…let’s shatter it!!!!! ROCHESTER ROCHESTER ROCHESTER!!!!!!!!!!

Speech: Andrew Massot / Kids Voting Kickoff Event

Andrew Massot, speaking at the Kids Voting Rochester Kickoff event on September 19th, 2008

The following text is from a speech given by Andrew Massot, a senior at John Marshall at the Kids Voting Rochester Kickoff Event.

You have heard a lot of words spoken today: Democracy, Constitution, the Declaration of Independence. All these words are very important because they speak about government. Over 200 years ago the Founding Fathers gave us a government, a republic, and it is our duty to uphold that government.

One of the foundations of a republic is that the citizens need to take an active role in the government. Not only in stepping forward and running for office but also in voting and making informed decisions about who they think should represent them.  This is important because Kids Voting Rochester does just this.

It gets kids at a young age involved in the democratic process, in the governmental system.  The beauty of a republic is that it is divided into two parts; you have the government―the structural system through which the United States, the state of Minnesota, the county of Olmsted, and the city of Rochester are governed.  And you have the politics―the ideas that people bring to this governmental system.

Kids Voting Rochester gets the youth of today involved in this governmental system.  I look around me and I see many smart, but young, people.  Not all of them are necessarily ready to get engaged in the debate of Republican versus Democrat.  But they are ready to make a stand and to vote.

Kids Voting Rochester gets them involved in the democratic process so that when they reach the age where they are able to get involved in that debate they know how to make their voice heard and they are not afraid.

Two years ago I ran a polling station for Kids Voting here in Rochester, and it was amazing to see the joy on the kids’ faces as they came up.  They filled in the bubbles and realized that they were making a difference.

Kids Voting Rochester empowers the students of today so that tomorrow, when they are ready and when they are legally able to vote, they can make their voice heard…and they know how.

Speech: Valerie Troutman – Kids Voting Rochester Kickoff Event

The followings text is the speech delivered by Mayo High School student Valerie Troutman at the Kids Voting Rochester kickoff event September 19, 2008.

When asked, “What does Kids Voting Rochester mean to me and my city” the first thing that comes to mind is my own young voting experience. There had been a buzz around school that we were going to vote, but I had no  idea on what. Lots of questions ran through my mind – “Where are we going to vote? How do you vote? Do you have to stand up in front of everyone and declare what you are voting for and why? How are they counted? Who actually gets to vote?” Luckily all of my questions were answered and more. From learning how our government worked to how a citizen votes was really beneficial. To my relief, no, we did not have to declare to our entire grade who we were voting for, but I did learn about voicing my opinion and listening to others. After that day, I know I went running home excited to show my parents my “I voted” sticker and tell them all about my day and how I got to vote. Looking back, that might have been one of the key aspects – going home and sharing my experience with adults. When the students come home from their voting experience, they not only bring up important issues to discuss, but also encourage adults or remind them to register to vote and to actually vote in the election.

It is so important in this country that everyone’s voice is heard. On the test given to those that wish to become a citizen of the United States, one question states: What is most important right given to U.S. citizens by the Constitution? The Answer: the right to vote. And that is what Kids Voting Rochester is all about. Too many people take this precious right for granted. The U.S. Census reported that only 64 percent of U.S. citizens age 18 and over voted in the 2004 presidential election.  And only 47 percent of 18 – 24 year olds voted, that is not even half of their age group represented. But Minnesota did have the highest citizen voting rate (which we should be proud of) at 79 percent – but that still leaves plenty of room for improvement.

Now that I am a Senior at Mayo High School, even though I won’t be old enough to vote in this presidential election, I still am paying close attention to the election and both parties’ candidates. It is very important that youth start to think about the major issues now, to find out on their own where they stand and what they believe in, and also to realize that they too will have their own chance to cast a ballot. I believe that programs such as “Kids Voting Rochester” are important so that youth are informed about the voting process and are excited about being able to vote ‘for real’ once they turn 18.

Use Your Right

Happy September! (Only 2 more months until election day!!)

I’d like to start by introducing myself. My name is Katie and I just started my Sophomore year at Century High School. My involvement in government and the democratic process goes back as long as I can remember. My dad is a local elected official. Through the years, I attended polling place after polling place, met elected official after elected official, and heard about candidate after candidate (via my dad). For the longest time, I wanted nothing to do with this whole other world. It wasn’t until my 6th grade social studies class when I actually became interested in government.  We had talked about the house and the senate, the judicial branch and the electoral college, and of course the bill of rights. I didn’t take much of an interest until we got to the section on voting. I remember my teacher telling us that each one of us had a privilege in this country. Our entire wide-eyed class sat in those short little desks just staring at her. None of us were quite sure what she was talking about. She then proceeded to tell us about voting. She said that as an American citizen, we have the right to elect the people that represent us and make the rules in our cities, states, and this great nation. I remember thinking ‘Wow, how lucky am I that live in a country where I have the right to be a part of the shaping of our government and our country!’

So, from 6th grade on, I took an interest in the inner-workings of the U.S. Government. It wasn’t until September of 2006 that I heard about KidsVoting. I heard it from none other than–you guessed it–my dad! He told me about this program that allowed kids to well, vote. I called our local executive director to get some more information. I was immediately excited about the program. I knew that I wanted to do more than just vote in the election, so I decided to get involved on a higher level. For the 2006 general election, I was a poll captain at my precinct’s polling place.

I can’t tell you how I became so passionate about government, voting and KidsVoting. However, I can tell you that this program is making a difference. KidsVoting not only gives young people a voice, but it provides the steady routine of going to a polling place and voting. Hopefully that routine will continue on throughout the rest of each participant’s life.

This incredible country that we live in is yes, sometimes broken and sometimes divided, but it’s also a free country. A free country where we have the right to speak our minds about what we believe, to choose the candidate that we want to represent us, and to vote in every single election.

KidsVoting helps to teach about those rights and it helps to give kids a firm foundation when it comes to the election process. I’m so excited for the 2008 election because it will be the biggest election yet. My challenge to all of you–whether you are an adult who has voted in many elections, or you are a kid who is excited to vote in the KidsVoting Rochester program–is to use your right, exercise your vote.