Mock Election 2020

 Four years ago, when it was a presidential election year, I contacted our county clerk and, with her assistance, organized a Mock Election for our local homeschool group.  We again find ourselves in a presidential election year, and I really was feeling the itch for a mock election.  I just kept thinking about how beneficial it is for the children to see the election process and be comfortable with exercising their right to vote, and I really wanted my kids to get to experience it.  However, since I haven't really integrated up here, I again contacted the county clerk in our old area and asked for her help.  I also touched based with a couple of Missouri friends and made sure Mike could be off work before committing, because I knew I would need help.

Our county clerk, Bree, again did a large bulk of the work for the actual election part of the event.  Chelsie did all of the decorating and balloon drop set up the night before, and then several of us brought activity stations for the kids to do while we all took turns voting.  Many hands made light work and the morning went great!

We started with a welcome, and then I read the kids two books.  Four years ago when we were planning the mock election the other parents and I had a lengthy discussion about what we should have the kids vote on.  We decided that the election process was our focus and chose to have the kids vote between two books instead of two presidential candidates.  I stuck with that this year and I think it's a good way to run it - to keep political differences off the table.

This year's books were I Say Ooh, You Say Aah and This Is Owl.  Both are interactive stories and very fun and lighthearted.  

Before I read, I reminded the older kids that, while the books may feel a little juvenile, they were really there for the election process, and to remember that they could vote for just which they liked best or they could think about it more in depth and vote for the one with the best story line, better illustrations, funniest, or a culmination of all those traits.  We had a great and respectful group of kids in attendance.

After we read the books, the children started freely rotating around the craft/activity stations (all patriotic themed) while parents took their kids over to vote. 

To keep the work load less on the clerk's office, we find our own election judges (Thanks Nana Debbie B. and Nana Cindy S.! - grandmas of some of our attendees) and handle the registration sign in sheet and voter's registration cards on our own.  When the children signed up to attend, I emailed the voter's registration cards to their parents to print out.  The kids had to take those to the courthouse with them, show them to the election judges, sign in on the registration sheet, and then they received their ballot.  Because Bree orders official ballots, that means the kids get to feed them into the ballot machine, which they of course think is amazing.

After everyone had voted, Bree let the kids come over to watch her shut down the machine.  She printed our official results, but they went into my pocket to be announced later.  

The next activity was a patriotic scavenger hunt around town for everyone.  Our attendees broke up into groups - some as families, some as friends, some as a mix, and headed out.  While they did the scavenger hunt a couple of us went back and quickly tidied the craft tables up.

A silly group photo was on the scavenger hunt list!

As the kids trickled back in I had suckers or a chocolate for the "winners" of the scavenger hunt.  In the end everyone got a treat.  

Once all the groups were back in, we announced the winner.  A TIE VOTE!  How fun that it was an even split!  When the winner was announced Jake pulled the balloon drop cord and showered the kids with red, white, and blue.

Balloons are so festive.

Watch my little dolly in red who thinks she's a big girl.  I had to swoop in and get her - she almost got trampled in the balloon fun.

That was the conclusion of our mock election.  Some of us brought a carry in lunch for our families and stayed to visit together after, which our children enjoy as much as the planned activities. 

After lunch, a group clean up effort!  These sweet boys, born just weeks apart, were kings of the chairs!

When we were all done cleaning up, we slipped away to the windy, blustery park to play for a bit and catch up with our Welte friends.  It happened that they were in town from south Missouri and able to attend the Mock Election and we were thankful to get a few more minutes of play with them before saying good-bye.

Then, it was just a long drive back to Iowa.  We stopped for pizzas on the way home - I'd purposefully put in on the menu for supper because I knew I'd be tired and boy, was I grateful!  

We finished our night with a movie and popcorn.  What a great day!