Program lets kids cast ballots on Election Day

Adults won’t be the only ones heading to the polls in November.

Kids Voting returns to Ottawa.

The program is designed to get students in kindergarten through 12th grade interested in voting — and at the same time spur their parents into showing up at the polls to vote.

Kids will cast their votes on their own ballots during election day. Michelle Richards, co-chairwoman of Ottawa Kids Voting, said the ballots are tailored to specific grade levels. For example, the ballots for kindergarten through second graders contain pictures of the candidates, she said.

The results of Kids Voting will be announced on election night. Kids Voting results often mirror the actual election, Kansas Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh has said.

Richards said organizers this year tried to get the word out to more people to encourage a large turnout.

A Kids Voting candidates forum in September was a new event this year that gave students an opportunity to question several state and local candidates on a variety of hot topics.

The forum is being rebroadcast locally on Government Access Channel 20.

Richards said the idea of Kids Voting is to get children interested at a young age. Indeed, the coming election has made for lively conversations among Richards’ family — including her three elementary school-aged children, she said.

“It’s a very hot topic in our house,” she said.

Herald staff writer Jodie Garcia can be e-mailed at jgarcia@ottawaherald.com.