November 5th is this year’s election day in the United States. Every 4 years, all eligible citizens of the US place their ballot for who they want as leader of the free world. This is one of the most important civics act a citizen of a democratic nation can take part in. One of the key constitutional rights of every US citizen is the right to vote. They get a voice in selecting their representative.
Voting is an important part of a democratic government. It is a way for the people to choose between a number of different options. Voting can be used in everyday life in order to make decisions. Voting is used in elections because it allows the people to select the leaders they believe in most.
Democracy means rule of the people. It describes a government where the people who live in that country choose their representatives. These representatives are chosen in an election and represent the citizens when making decisions for the good of the community or country. In a democracy, all citizens should be seen as equal by the government. This means that every citizen should have the right to vote, no matter their race, religion, or beliefs. Every citizen has the right to vote in a true democracy.
Activity: Imagine that you could be the next leader of your country. What issues would be important to your voters. Write a speech, describing what you would do if you were given the power to lead your country. Download a printable copy of this activity here.
The presidential system of government is a government ruled by a president who won a national election. The president is both the head of state and the head of the government. The president is elected by the people in a free election. Each government has a fixed presidential term of several years. The most common term is four years. During this time, the president acts as a representative of the people who elected him when meeting with foreign representatives and making important decisions.
Hold an Election: Select a policy or rule that would be relevant to the running of your classroom. This could include how chores are divided or whether or not homework will be assigned on weekends for one month. Students will have to work together to decide when the election will be held, design a ballot for the election, create a voting system that allows for voting privacy and security, and decide how votes will be counted. Download a printable copy of this activity here.
In order to vote, a citizen must meet the requirements of the country. Every country has different requirements for voting. Most countries, including Canada and the United States, require voters to be at least 18 years old. Voter turnout fluctuates in the United States. One of the reasons that citizens fail to vote is that they do not register to vote. In some countries, fewer than 80% of all eligible voters register to vote. War and media coverage can also impact voter turnout. If voters do not have confidence in their government and their leaders, they tend not to vote. Many countries are continually looking for ways to increase voter turnout, including the United States. In many democracies, voters must register with the government in order to vote in an election. In some countries, citizens who are eligible to vote will have to fill out a form in order to register. This is the process in the United States.
Activity: Voter turnout is becoming a very large problem in the electoral process. What can be done to improve voter turnout? Create a plan that would help improve voter turnout in your area. Suggest three ideas to improve voter turnout and describe how these ideas can become reality. Download a printable copy of this activity here.