Should kids be allowed to vote? Fourth graders weigh in

KENMORE —  News of the upcoming election is all around us and even some of the youngest citizens are realizing it.

To try to give context for this important event, St. John the Baptist’s fourth grade teacher, Sharon Domin, invited a parent of a student in her class to come in and teach her students a bit more about the electoral process. Shannon Patch, vice president of Government Affairs at Delaware North, visited her daughter Caroline’s class to share with the students about the importance of voting as a means to use your voice to make positive change.

Students were presented with a question, “Should kids be allowed to vote?” 

“The students were assigned a side to campaign for and worked with their classmates on the debate points that they would present,” shared Domin, “This was a challenge for them because the side they were assigned did not necessarily align with their original views.” The students then discussed how they would present their argument to the class.

Fourth grader Margaret Beckman believed that kids should not be allowed to vote. “Kids still have a lot to learn. Not all of them can read yet and sometimes kids change their minds a lot. Voting is too big of a responsibility, especially for little kids.”

After hearing both sides of this important discussion, the students had a chance to let their voices be heard and vote either yes, kids should be allowed to vote or no, kids should not be allowed to vote. 

“We made it clear to the students that they did not need to vote for the side that they were assigned to,” said Patch. “Sometimes, in campaigns, a good debate can sway the vote.”

This did end up happening in Domin’s class. After the votes were tallied, the majority of the class believed that kids should not be allowed to vote. The students felt that kids need more time to grow up before taking on this important civic duty. They may not be ready to vote, but they sure are learning to both hear and create a well formed argument, debate in a respectful manner, and use their voices for the good of all.