C3 ELECTIONS LESSON: WHY VOTE? (1 WEEK)
Overview: Students will discuss the importance of voting, as well as examine who votes and
who doesn't and begin to analyze reasons why. Students will analyze results of their
community survey on voting as a basis for developing solutions to low voter turnout.
Objectives
SWBAT
Understand the importance of voting
Analyze voter statistics
Hypothesize why people don’t vote
Conduct a survey
Compile and analyze data from community
voting survey
Learn how to increase voter participation
Materials:
T-chart worksheet
Learning Station worksheets (3)
Voting Statistics from the 2004/2008/2012
Election worksheet
Community Voting Survey handout
Chart paper
Markers
Community Voting Analysis handout
Story Board worksheet
Assessments:
Learning Stations
Voting Statistics Analysis
Community Voting analysis
Community Voting Survey (HW)
Socratic Seminar (optional)
DAY 1
BELLRINGER: Photo analysis
Project image http://postnewsgroup.com/blog/2013/08/01/tea-party-nightmares/ . Have
students complete the t-chart.
BEFORE: Why should I care about elected office?
Have students share their responses from the bellringer and lead a short discussion on why
they think voting matters/doesn’t matter using prompts like “Why vote?” and “Why should I
care about elected office?”
DURING: Answering the “Why vote?” question
Have the students form small groups to rotate through a series of learning stations to address
the compelling question: “Why vote?” Suggestions for learning stations and accompanying
handouts are provided in this lesson but you may add additional stations as well.
Learning station #1 : I care about elected office (or I vote) because… I care about issues.
Have the printed out text from “An Act of Faith in America” by Michael Seifert
(http://thisibelieve.org/essay/989/) and, if possible a computer with speakers for students to
listen along with the essay as they read it. Students should complete the station handout
before moving on to the next learning station.
Learning station #2: I care about elected office (or I vote)… because the candidates running for
office represent different points of view.
To counter the belief that “it doesn’t matter who gets elected, they’re all the same,” this
station has students will compare two or more candidates on their position on issues.
Depending on when in the year this lesson is taught and whether there is a competitive election
taking place, students can either compare two or more candidates who are currently running
against each other or ran against each other in the past. If you are looking at a current election,
collect information on each candidate’s position (www.projectvotesmart.org or
www.ontheissues.org can be helpful resources). If there isn’t a competitive election occurring,
Ralph Nader’s 2000 run for president provides a good historical case study to examine. Many
of his supporters claimed that there was little difference between the Democratic candidate, Al
Gore, and the Republican candidate, George W. Bush. But if you examine Gore and Bush’s
policy’s side by side, students can see that there is a great deal of difference
(www.ontheissues.org/George_W__Bush.htm, www.ontheissues.org/Al_Gore.htm show
examples of the candidates’ views). Students should read the positions of the two candidates
and complete a Venn Diagram that compares the two candidates.
If the lesson is being taught during a competitive election, you can go to resources sites like and
print out current candidate’s positions on the issues and have students complete a Venn
Diagram.
Learning Station #3: I vote because – voting is a right.
At this learning station, students write a reflection to Hosea Williams quote “If you can’t vote,
then you’re not free. And if you ain’t free, children, then you’re a slave" (1965), and discuss
their thoughts with their group members. Students examine images of Black voters
attempting to register to vote in the South under Jim Crow (http://tinyurl.com/895d8ca,
http://tinyurl.com/ovj2wp7, http://tinyurl.com/q55uawx) as well as images of voters waiting in
long lines in Ohio during the 2004 election (http://tinyurl.com/keceof9,
http://tinyurl.com/oovlcry, http://tinyurl.com/n4ud6ez) and answer the question: "If voting
weren't powerful, why would be people be denied that right throughout history?"
AFTER:
Which, if any, reasons for voting did you find compelling and why? What is your current
response to the question “Why vote?” (or Why should I care about elected office?)
Bellringer T-Chart
Describe what you see in the photo
Describe what you think it means
Learning Station #1 – I vote because…I care about issues.
Listen to “An Act of Faith in America” by Michael Seifert (at http://thisibelieve.org/essay/989/)
and read along with it then do the following:
1. Discuss how the residents of the town brought about change through voting,
2. The County Commissioner says “Why bother? You people don’t care. You aren’t really
Americans. You don’t even vote.” Do you agree that if you don’t vote, elected officials
shouldn’t even bother? Why or why not?
3. Choose an issue that they feel strongly about and brainstorm ways in which elected
officials could have an impact on that issue.
Learning Station #2 I vote because… the candidates running for office represent different points of view
Learning Station #3: I vote because – voting is a right.
1. Read the following quote, discuss as a group and write down whether you agree with it
and why.
“If you can’t vote, then you’re not free. And if you ain’t free, children, then you’re a slave"
--- Hosea Williams (1965)
2. Examine the photos and respond to the question below: "If voting weren't powerful,
why would be people be denied that right throughout history?"
DAY 2
BELL-RINGER: Why don't some people vote?
Have the students write a response to the question, “Why don’t some people vote?”
BEFORE: Share out
Have the students share their responses. You may want to mention the following reasons if
students do not bring them up:
o
o
o
o
o
Lack of time
Lack of information about candidates
Lack of information about the process
Skepticism
Apathy
apathy: an absence of interest (in this case for voting)
DURING: Voting statistics analysis
Explain to the students that they are going to look at voting trends based on various
demographics.
demographic: sections of the human population broken down by a certain
characteristic such as age, sex, income, etc.
Have the students analyze the data from the Voting Statistics from the 2004/2008/2012
Elections worksheet and answer the questions. You may want to do the first one or two
questions together to get students started.
AFTER: Implications of not voting
Write the following quote on the board and have the students interpret the meaning:
“Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don’t vote.”
—William E. Simon
Ask the students: What are the implications of the voting trends they examined? Who gets to
decide who gets elected? Is it democratic? You may want to note that these statistics are for
national elections, and the voter turnout in local elections is significantly lower.
CLOSER: Explain community voting survey
Explain to the students that they will test their hypothesis of why people don’t vote by
surveying voters in their own community. For homework, each student must survey 5-10
adults (parents, older family members, business owners, etc.) from the community to find out
the following information:
If the person is registered to vote, and why or why not?
If the person voted in the last election, and why or why not?
Voting Statistics: 2004/2008/2012 Elections
Sources: U.S. Census, CNN, and Project Vote
2004
Age Group
% of Age Group Registered
% of Age Group Who Voted
All Voters 18+
65.9
58.3
18–24
51.5
41.9
25–44
60.1
52.2
45–64
72.7
66.6
65–74
76.9
70.8
75+
76.8
66.7
Age Group
% of Age Group Registered
% of Age Group Who Voted
All Voters 18+
71.0
63.6
18–24
58.5
48.5
25–44
68.2
60
45–64
74.9
69.2
65–74
78.1
72.4
75+
76.6
67.8
Age Group
% of Age Group Registered
% of Age Group Who Voted
All Voters 18+
71.2
61.8
18-24
53.6
41.2
25–44
68.7
57.3
45–64
75.4
67.9
65–74
79.7
73.5
75+
79.1
70.0
2008
2012
Which age group had the highest percentage of voters in all three years?
Which age group had the lowest percentage of voters in all three years?
Which year had the lowest total voter turnout?
How did voter turnout change among voters age 18-24 from 2004 to 2008?
How did voter turnout change among voters age 18-24 from 2008 to 2012?
Do all registered voters actually vote? How do you know?
Sex
% of Group Who Voted
in 2004
% of Group Who Voted in % of Group Who Voted in
2008
2012
Female (all
ages)
60.1
65.7
59.7
Male (all
ages)
56.3
61.5
63.7
Which gender had higher voter turnout in 2004 and 2008?
Did that gender maintain higher voter turnout in 2012?
Which gender saw the greatest growth in turnout over the three elections?
Race
% of Group Who Voted
in 2004
% of Group Who Voted % of Group Who Voted in
in 2008
2012
White NonHispanic
65.8
66.1
64.1
Black
56.3
64.7
66.2
Asian
29.8
47.6
47.3
Latino
28.0
49.9
48.0
Which racial group had the highest percentage of voters in 2004?
Which racial group had the lowest percentage of voters in 2004?
Which racial group had the highest percentage of voters in 2008?
Which racial group had the lowest percentage of voters in 2008?
Which racial group had the highest percentage of voters in 2012?
Which racial group had the lowest percentage of voters in 2012?
Which racial group had the greatest increase in percentage of voters from 2004 to 2012?
Why do you think that might be the case?
2008
Household Income
% of Group Registered
% of Group Who Voted
less than $20,000
63.7
51.0
$20,000–$39,999
69.3
59.5
$40,000–$49,999
72.6
64.7
$50,000–$74,999
78.2
70.9
$75,000–$99,999
81.9
76.4
$100,000 and over
84.8
79.8
Household Income
% of Group Registered
% of Group Who Voted
less than $20,000
50.4
76.9
$20,000–$39,999
58.3
83.5
$40,000–$49,999
67.0
85.4
$50,000–$74,999
72.5
87.9
$75,000–$99,999
77.6
90.3
$100,000 and over
81.9
91.3
2012
Describe the trend correlating household income with voter turnout.
2008
Education Level
% of Group Who Voted
No High School
38.1
Some High School
39.9
High School Graduate
54.9
Some College or Associate’s Degree
68.0
Bachelor’s Degree
77.0
Advanced Degree
82.7
Education Level
% of Group Who Voted
No High School
37.1
Some High School
38.3
High School Graduate
52.6
Some College or Associate’s Degree
64.2
Bachelor’s Degree
75.0
2012
Advanced Degree
81.3
Which educational level had the highest percentage of voters?
Which education group had the lowest percentage of voters?
Using all the data provided above, compose a well-constructed paragraph explaining who
tends to vote the most and why.
Using all the data provided above, compose a well-constructed paragraph explaining who
tends to vote the least and why.
Community Voting Survey Sheet
Name
Age
Occupation
Gender
Race/ethnicity
(optional)
Did you vote in
the last
election?
Y or N
Why or why not?
DAY 3
Before the class enters the room, write two lists on separate sheets of chart paper or on the
board if you have space. Label one list “Reasons for not voting,” and the other “Reasons for
voting.” Populate each list with following reasons:
Reasons for not voting
Apathy
Dissatisfaction with candidates
Forgot
Illness or family emergency
Out of town
Non-citizenship
Not informed about voting process
Skeptical (think vote doesn’t count)
Transportation issues
Other (please list reason)
Reasons for voting
Believes vote matters
Doesn’t really think about it, just
does it
Sense of duty
Strongly opposes a candidate
Strongly supports a candidate
Wants to have voice heard
Other (please list reason)
Hang the two lists in the room.
BELL-RINGER: Initial tabulations
Have the students add up the number of their survey respondents who voted as well as how
many didn’t vote. Next, have the students compare the reasons their survey respondents did or
did not vote to the reasons posted on the chart paper. Have the students note any reasons that
they don’t understand.
BEFORE: Tally our results
Ask the students if they have any questions about the list posted on the chart paper. Then, ask
the students to give the total numbers they surveyed, total non-voters, and total voters. Have a
student add the numbers to come up with a class total for each.
Give each student a marker. Have the put tally marks under each of the reasons for voting or
not voting that they collected in their survey.
DURING: Analyze the data/analyze the survey
Have the students fill out the Community Voting Analysis sheet individually or with a partner.
Once the students have finished their data analysis, have them share their results with the
class. Make sure there is agreement on the top reasons why people in the community don’t
vote according to their survey results. Have the students examine the possibility of flaws in
their survey findings by asking, “Are there reasons people might not be honest about their
voting? Is a self-reporting survey always reliable? Is there another way they could have
gathered the data that would have yielded different results?”
AFTER: Share conclusions
Set aside time (the format you choose -- discussion, presentations, essay will determine how much time
to allot) for students to synthesize their learning and present their thoughts on the driving
question of Why vote/why should I care about elected office?. Students can engage in a
structured deliberation, a debate or a written exposition in response to the original question of
“Why should I care about elected office/Why vote?”
Community Voting Analysis
Look around the room at the tallied results to answer the following questions. Remember that
this analysis is based on a community sample. You did not survey the entire community, but the
results should indicate some of the reasons people in your community do not vote.
How many people were surveyed?
Of that number, how many people voted? What percent is that?
Of the people surveyed, how many did not vote? What percent is that?
What are the top three reasons that people did not vote?
Are there potential problems with our survey? Could we have asked different questions and
gotten a different result? Explain.
Given the reasons that some people gave for not voting, what do you think could be done
to increase voter participation in the community?
DAY 4+: TAKING ACTION
Depending on the action you and your students decide on, the steps taken over the next days
will vary. We have provided ideas and tools to help your students as they plan and take action
as well as strategies for them to reflect on their actions.
Taking Action: Creating a Voter Education Guide
Students can create a Voter Education to share what they decide is key information with voters.
Information can include how to register, where to register, when and how to vote, who can vote etc. It
can also include information on the candidates running and a short description of their positions on key
issues. Distributing the voter guide in the community is a key step in the process. To see an example
of youth created Voter Education Guide, go to http://tinyurl.com/ljw3kyc.
Some possibilities for distribution include:
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Getting the administration to post it on the school website
Contacting the local newspaper to see if it can be printed in or distributed with the paper
Distribute to local places of worship, social service centers, community centers, etc.
Distribute with free weekly newspapers in local businesses
Distribute at the start of school, orientation, or other school events that parents attend
Distribute to school staff
Voter Education Guide Reflection Questions
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Why is it important to educate voters about where, when, and how to vote?
What was the best thing about making the Voter Education Guide?
What was the most challenging thing about making the Voter Education Guide?
How hard was it to distribute our guides?
What would you do differently next time?
Taking Action: Creating a PSA
Another action students can take is raising awareness on the importance of voting and/or
details on how to vote through creating a Public Service Announcement. Use the story board
on the following page for students to map out their PSA. To see examples of PSA's go to
www.lwvil.org/voter-video-minutes.html. Ideas for distribution of the PSA include:
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Getting the administration to post it on the school website
Contacting the local cable company to see if it can be aired
Play it at school or community events
Tweet it
Post it on youtube and create a media campaign to get viewers
PSA Reflection Questions
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Why is it important to educate voters about where, when, and how to vote?
What was the best thing about making the PSA?
What was the most challenging thing about making the PSA?
How hard was it to distribute?
What would you do differently next time?
Story Board
Scene 1
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Scene 3
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