Kids Voting USA is a national, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that prepares young Americans to be educated, engaged citizens, and there is a Kids Voting Talawanda affiliate which has set up voting in the Talawanda School District, including McGuffey Montessori School, for students in grades 3-12.

The Middle School was scheduled to vote on Wednesday, Oct. 31 (early voting), and most other classes will vote on election day.

The students, using the program Double Click Democracy, will cast their votes by way of the computer and they will be tallied district wide by school and by grade level.

All students studied selected candidate’s races using the Voter Information Guide of the League of Women Voters of Oxford and will vote on the two state issues and a third local issue for students only, “Shall there be year round school?” The Marshall Elementary School fifth-grade class of Marsha McQueen debated that issue on Tuesday, Oct. 30.

The Talawanda District has participated in Kids Voting since 1999. The Talawanda affiliate has been established with a board of teachers, community citizens and Miami students who are studying to be social studies teachers. The affiliate is supported by the Oxford Community Foundation, Parent Teacher Organizations and Oxford Rotary Grant.

For information on Kids Voting Talawanda contact Affiliate Board Chair Prue Dana.

The national organization expects more than 1 million students across the country to participate in its mock election in 22 states through the affiliate network. In 2008, 1,862,143 students participated.