Civics Lesson Students Join Kids Voting Project And Get Parents Out To Vote

Becoming an informed voter can be darned frustrating.

That’s what Sarah Paulson discovered when she began investigating presidential candidates.

“I couldn’t find anything about where they stood on the issues, because they always talked around them,” she said Tuesday.

With persistence, she learned a lot. Along with thousands of other Kootenai County students, the Post Falls High School senior put her knowledge to use by casting a ballot as part of the Kids Voting project.

Kootenai County was the only place in Idaho to participate in the national, non-partisan project. It’s designed not just to teach kids about the election process, but to lure their parents into voting, too.

Teachers at nearly all of the county’s public schools, and five private schools, helped children “register” to vote. Many led classroom discussions or made election-related assignments.

Kids from kindergarten through 12th grade were eligible to cast their ballots at the same polling places as their parents.

“The precinct elections are a real beneficial thing, to get them enthusiastic and interested at a young age,” said Lake City High School teacher Sandy Kravik.

In Post Falls, Paulson not only cast her vote, but along with other Key Club members handed ballots to young voters. She and Jennifer Richards decorated the Kids Voting corner at Precinct 16 with bright balloons and a red tablecloth.

“It’s like a big party,” said Paula Davis, executive director of Kids Voting. “Why can’t we have fun with it?”

Davis has been on the job since April. Local companies and service clubs donated $17,000 to the project. That doesn’t count in-kind donations such as printing and cell phones.

Davis, a former public television employee, led an army of more than 600 volunteers. She found plenty of enthusiasm, although a few skeptics Kids suggested that schools stick with the basics of reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic.

“I tell them that the fourth ‘r’ is responsibility,” said Davis, a confessed political junkie who was stuffing envelopes at age 6.

Kids Voting was founded by three Arizona businessmen in 1988. The idea sprung from a fishing trip to Costa Rica where, they learned, children traditionally accompany their parents to the polls and where voter turnout routinely is 90 percent.

Turnout increased 5 percent when Kids Voting made its Kootenai County debut during last year’s Coeur d’Alene city elections, Davis said. Parents accompanying their children are asked if their kids’ involvement affected their decision to vote.

On Tuesday, Sherry Galante made two trips to Hayden Meadows Elementary to be with each of her daughters when they cast their votes. Their gymnasium was a polling place.

Galante’s fifth-grader, Kristin, studied the ballot intensely. She hesitated over some unfamiliar names.

“If you’re not informed enough to vote on the judges, don’t,” her mother advised.

At Fernan Elementary, Ian Dahlke also took the mock vote seriously.

His mom, Debby Dahlke, waited patiently in the gym for about 15 minutes while her fifth-grader pored over the ballot.

“He’s trying to remember things,” she whispered.

At Lakes Middle School, seventh-grader Bryan Roraus made short work of his ballot and wasn’t shy about explaining his choices.

“I’m against Propositions 1, 2 and 3,” he proclaimed.

And for president?

“Ross Perot. I think he knows how to spend his money. Everyone else drives limousines, he drives up in a cheap car.”

Bryan said he was all for Kids Voting. “It gets kids ready for the real world.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo