For Teachers

Mock Election is a powerful tool to teach students about:

• The process of voting
• Community involvement
• Local, state, and national issues
• Democracy at work

If you are interested in paticipating in Mock Election, please request registration information.

Resources

• Curriculum materials and ideas for assignments and activities suitable for K-12

• MyVote - A Teacher's Guide for the 2008 Elections from the Secretary of State's office - includes curriculum and lesson plans

• The State of California Standards that are addressed by Mock Election

• NextTen.org's Budget Challenge is an online educational tool that lets users build their own state budget by choosing how much to spend on services and how to pay for them. This nonpartisan organization also has a free "budget basics" brochure and other materials.

• The Mock Election Committee recommends the Teacher's Guide & Classroom Materials called California CIVICS (Community Involvement & Voting Information in Classroom Studies). The program was designed by the California Secretary of State's office as part of their high school voter education program to educate and energize the youth electorate.

Did you know?

• 55% of youth agree that "the schools do not do a very good job of giving young people the information needed to vote." *
   
• Only 21% of young people say that they speak with their parents about politics or current events and many youths are learning not to vote from their parents. *
   
  * According to the 1999 New Millennium Report,
     issued by the National Association of Secretaries of State

If the above trends continue, most of these young people will not go to the polls and miss the opportunity to have their voices heard when they become adults.