You may have seen a few hundred campaign commercials these days so you know election season is here!
How will YOU handle the election in your classroom?
Well, since I teach first grade and I’d like to avoid those awkward convos surrounding the presidential election {or any election for that matter!} I’ve created some activities that are just right for the primary grades!
Voting Booth
Okay, how fun is this voting booth?! To make, I just snagged a box headed for the dumpster and covered it in fadeless paper! {The V-O-T-E letters are inside my election pack!} Then, I used some dollar store streamers and fun tape to finish it off!
An alternative to the voting booth is this easy to make {and store!} file folder booth. I just fancied it up with the tape and sign!
Get Ready to Vote!
To kick off the election season, your students will need to fill out a Voter Registration form!
This is a great time to get your students practicing important information.
Once you’ve approved their application, you can issue their Voter Registration Cards. In order to vote, they need to show this card! 
Campaign Posters
Part of the excitement of our classroom elections is to create a Campaign Poster! Kids get together in groups to state why their classmates should vote one way or another. They decorate a poster listing points for why their “side” is better.
You can also have students stand in front of the class and make a speech with their points! It’s a great way to get kids comfortable speaking in front of a group and practicing those important public speaking skills!
Click the picture to grab this FREEBIE to create your very own campaign posters!
To weave in a little writing, your students can write about what they plan to vote for. Click the picture to grab the FREEBIE!
Cast Your Ballot!
Now the exciting part! Allow your students to visit the voting booth to cast their ballot. You should review the rules of voting before you begin. We simply discussed that it’s important to vote with your own voice and keep your vote secret.
I love how serious my students take their responsibility!
Reward Your Voters!
After voting, students get an “I Voted” badge. They wear it proudly 🙂
Tally Up the Votes!
To extend the lesson, you can have a student of the day tally up the votes and fill out the tally chart.
Or, you could have each student create their own tally chart.
Graph the Votes!
To give students even more practice, get ’em graphin’! The pack has an editable version of this graph so you can tailor the questions to your students’ needs.
Book Ideas!
I love a reason to buy new books! Take a peek at my favorite Election books! I think my three new favorites are Snoopy for President & Vote for Me and Monster Needs Your Vote! {affiliate links!}
Amelia Bedelia’s First Vote
Otto Runs for President
Today on Election Day
If I Ran for President
Snoopy for President
Grace for President
Duck for President
One Vote, Two Votes, I Vote, You Vote
Vote for Me!
Monster Need Your Vote
You can snag ALL of these goodies inside my Get Out & Vote pack.
I’ve also included an editable version so you can create your own ballots, tally charts & graphs!
Check out this pack over on TpT!
Slainte!
This post contains affiliate links for Amazon. By purchasing an item on the Amazon site using these links, I will receive a small commission on your purchase. For more information about my Disclosure Policy, please visit this link.
