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Voting? What we DON'T teach our kids.

By
Real Estate Agent with Mountain House Real Estate

Voting?  What we DON'T teach our kids.  vote in Tracy CA

As the mom of 5 kids, 2 of whom are old enough to vote I learned that #3, 19 didn't vote, isn't registered and i wondered WHY NOT.

Basically FEAR.  He didn't know where or how to register. Typically you can do this at the DMV but since his license was gotten 3 years ago and he was too young to vote he didn't register.  Chances are real good, he'd wouldn't stop infront of a grocery store to register, answer the door to register, so where would be get this information?

Secondly he was afraid because to put it simply he "doesn't know HOW."  How to what?  Analyse the candidates and the issues,  maybe.  How to go to the polling place?  How to fill out the ballot?  How to get an absentee ballot?  Just straight up HOW.

My youngest son, 17 and loves poly-sci and history had a GREAT suggestion and comment.  Why isn't this taught in the Junior or Senior year in High School?  In California US History is a full year class in the junior year of high school and US Government is a Senior class.  What are we missing here.  Isn't it funadmental to our country that our young people are taught HOW to vote.  Not WHO to vote for, but HOW. The real nuts and bolts of HOW.

Voting, have you taught your kids?

 

Comments (15)

Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@Properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Susan, this is not a bad idea at all!  Although, I gotta say, the first time I registered and voted, it didn't seem that difficult.

Nov 02, 2010 09:00 AM
Julia Odom
Select Realty Professionals - Chattanooga, TN
Chattanooga Homes for Sale

Great idea. I voted on my 18th birthday, which just happened to be a municipal election.

Nov 02, 2010 11:40 AM
Jack Mossman - The Nines Team at Keller Williams in Stockton
The Nines Team At Keller Williams - Stockton, CA
The Nines Team at Keller Williams in Stockton

Susan - a great idea .... and NPR was reporting yesterday about a high school in Sacramento that held mock elections ... with the current candidates and propositions ...  In the one-room-school-house day of my youth ... we called it civics!  (In fairness though, the people who worked for the government were all called public servants .... hmmmmm)  So lots of things have changed ... perhaps even awareness of the right to vote .... and the responsibility!  Way too many kids are being taught how to not vote, by copying their parents!

Nov 02, 2010 11:49 AM
Christina ONeal
At Home Real Estate Group - Ripon, CA
Realtor - Ripon California

love this Susan....after talking about this, i went with my nineteen year old to help it not be so intimidating. 

Nov 03, 2010 03:07 AM
Cynthia Larsen
Cotati, CA
Independent Broker In Sonoma County, CA

There is an elementary school here that teaches kids how to vote. They register, they have a mock debate, they cast their ballots. Very ingenious. Then again my 28 year-old step-daughter isn't registered and has never voted. She doesn't read the paper and has no idea what is going on in the world. It's all learned behavior I guess.

Nov 07, 2010 06:08 AM
Kirsten Lindquist
Pacific Union International - Sonoma, CA
Realtor - Sonoma Wine Country

Am I being too simplistic in the thinking that if parents instilled in their kids the importance of getting out to vote---their kids would vote?  I honestly don't know but that's how it worked in my family.

Nov 07, 2010 06:24 AM
Coleen DeGroff
Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors - Gainesville, FL
Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
Susan - I always took my kids along with me to vote when they were younger. They've seen me work on political campaigns. They've gone to rallies with us. Your post is a reminder to me that, even with all that, my kids might not know how to register. So I will take them myself when they turn 18.
Nov 07, 2010 03:15 PM
Susan Goulding
Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management - Tracy, CA
Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate

Patricia, I don't think registering is difficult, however there is a fear factor of the unknown.

Julia- I know I voted the first chance I got, and I always vote.  You should not complain if you at least don't try to fix things.

Jack - you are right.  Many parents no longer want to vote for Career Politicians and would prefer to vote for public servants -- when are you going to run for office?

Christina - do did you 19 year old vote?

Cynthia - I wonder why the 28 year old doesn't vote?  Does she not care or does she think her vote doesn't matter?

Kirsten - I don't think it's a matter of instiling the value, although that is part of it.  I think kids don't know what or how so they don't.

Coleen- I took my kids too, that doesn't mean they really know how to check the box, where to get registered etc.  I opted for absentee ballots for them so we could work it out together.

 

Nov 08, 2010 07:35 AM
Susan Goulding
Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management - Tracy, CA
Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate

Patricia, I don't think registering is difficult, however there is a fear factor of the unknown.

Julia- I know I voted the first chance I got, and I always vote.  You should not complain if you at least don't try to fix things.

Jack - you are right.  Many parents no longer want to vote for Career Politicians and would prefer to vote for public servants -- when are you going to run for office?

Christina - do did you 19 year old vote?

Cynthia - I wonder why the 28 year old doesn't vote?  Does she not care or does she think her vote doesn't matter?

Kirsten - I don't think it's a matter of instiling the value, although that is part of it.  I think kids don't know what or how so they don't.

Coleen- I took my kids too, that doesn't mean they really know how to check the box, where to get registered etc.  I opted for absentee ballots for them so we could work it out together.

 

Nov 08, 2010 07:35 AM
Linda D. Pufford
Stage with Divine Style - Home Staging - Novato, CA
ASPM, Marin/Sonoma Home Stager

Susan,

I learned how to vote from my father and I always vote and my 28 year old daughter also has voted since she was 18 years old.  I don't remember ever learning anything about voting from school but I believe it is a great idea!!!  Wonderful post!

Nov 10, 2010 06:38 PM
Susan Goulding
Mountain House Real Estate - Mountain House, CA
Short Sales, Mountain House Homes for Sale

Linda - I always voted too -=-- don't complain is you don't vote.

Nov 15, 2010 04:40 AM
Susan Goulding
Mountain House Real Estate - Mountain House, CA
Short Sales, Mountain House Homes for Sale

Linda - I always voted too -=-- don't complain is you don't vote.

Nov 15, 2010 04:40 AM
Susan Goulding
Mountain House Real Estate - Mountain House, CA
Short Sales, Mountain House Homes for Sale

Linda - I always voted too -=-- don't complain is you don't vote.

Nov 15, 2010 04:40 AM
Tni LeBlanc, Realtor®, J.D.
Mint Properties, Lic. #01871795 - Santa Maria, CA
Tenacious Tni (805) 878-9879

Voting is so vital  I really don't understand people that don't vote but it seems that most people do not.  I don't get it.  Even Meg Whitman-- I was shocked to find out she didn't vote for decades!  It was very upsetting to learn that, nothing she said could overcome that for me.

Nov 16, 2010 04:31 PM
Susan Goulding
Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management - Tracy, CA
Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate

Tni - voting is important -- in Meg Whitman's case perhpas running for office is part of her way of stating how important she things government is.  It's amazing that some people don't think they have a voice -- no vote no voice, even if the voe does not go your way.

Nov 16, 2010 05:08 PM