Should I ?

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Should I ?

• Or Shouldnt I?

A Mock Election Primer
Utah State Office of Education, 250 E. 500 S.,
P.O. Box 144200, Salt Lake City, UT
84114-4200 Patti Harrington, Ed.D., State
Superintendent of Public Instruction www.schools.u
tah.gov
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• My teacher said that there is an election coming.
• Thats when people get to vote and decide who
  their leaders will be.
• My teacher said that we can vote too, if we want.

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• Theres a place for us to vote in the school.
• But she said we didnt have to.
• She said our votes dont really count anyway.
• Voting is really for big people.

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• So why did she say we could vote, if our votes
  dont matter?

Why is she telling us to do something that
doesnt count?
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• Is she sure it doesnt count? How come just big
  people vote?

So should I or shouldnt I?
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Teacher said that if we vote we have to do it
during recess.
Or sometime when we arent learning important
school work.
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• I guess its cause our votes really dont count.
• This is a mock election. That means its not the
  real thing.
• But she showed us a ballot, and its got the
  names of real people on it.

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• And they showed us how to do it. Were supposed
  to mark the ballot in secret and we dont have to
  tell anyone who we voted for. We only mark next
  to the name of the person we want to win. If
  that person gets the most votes, he or she will
  be the next leader.

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• But not really remember, its a mock election.
• So should I or shouldnt I?

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• Teacher said that leaders are important.
• They make decisions about rules and stuff that
  can change the way we live.
• Its important that we choose good people to be
  our leaders.

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• So how come my vote doesnt count?

I guess Im not smart enough to make a good
choice for a new leader. Or maybe its just that
Im not very old.
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• You have to be old to make a good choice.
• Decisions have to be made by people who are old
  and smart.
• Little kids like me cant do it.
• Not really, anyway.

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• So should I or shouldnt I?

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• Teacher said that we vote so we can practice.
• So we can know what to do when we are old enough
  to really vote.
• It will help us want to vote when we are older.
• So if we vote, it will just be for practice.
• It doesnt really count.

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• But they are going to count the votes to see who
  wins.
• I wonder why they care.
• Because it doesnt really count.

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• Maybe they just want to practice counting.
• Just like were practicing voting.

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• So should I or shouldnt I?

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• We talked about the people who want to be
  leaders.
• Their names are on the mock election ballot.

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• They have different ideas about laws and rules
  and stuff.
• And the changes they want to make.
• Teacher said we need to know about these people
  and the ideas they have.
• So that we can be informed voters.

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• So if we vote in the mock election we will know
  why we are voting for somebody.
• We vote for them because of how good we think
  their ideas are.

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• The teacher talked a lot about these things.
• I dont get it - its a mock election and our
  votes really dont count.
• So should I or shouldnt I?

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• I talked to my Mom and Dad about the mock
  election.
• I told them about the people whose names are on
  the ballot.
• I told them about their ideas.

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• I told them about how you have to mark the ballot
  in secret when you vote.
• And that you dont have to tell anybody who you
  voted for.

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• I told them that we were having a mock election.
• And that I could vote for practice but not for
  real.
• They are going to count our votes, but its just
  for practice too.
• Mom and Dad looked at me funny.

• They acted like they didnt know what I was
  talking about.

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• So should I or shouldnt I?

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• So today I voted in the mock election.
• I was real secret when I marked the ballot.
• I didnt tell anyone how I voted.

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• When all the votes were counted the person I
  voted for didnt win.

But Im not upset about it - its only a mock
election. It doesnt really count.
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Mom and Dad told me that they are going to vote
in the real election next week.

• They asked me about the people whose names are on
  the ballot.
• They asked about their ideas.
• They asked me to tell them how I voted.

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• So should I or shouldnt I?

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• Written and Illustrated by Alan Griffin,
• Civics Specialist
• Utah State Office of Education
• May, 2008