Election Simulation Toolkit 

Election Simulation Toolkit. Engaging students in the electoral process

At a glance

In this activity, students

  • take part in a quick open-voting process to understand why a secret ballot is important;
  • take on the roles of political party members or election officers;
  • run an election on a community or school issue they care about and vote for a candidate; and
  • reflect on what they learned about their role in the simulation and what makes elections fair.

Big Idea: Our democracy depends on each of us taking part in federal elections. There are many ways to do this. Here are a few of them: 

  • Vote for a candidate
  • Join a political party
  • Work as an election officer
  • Run as a candidate
  • Volunteer to help a campaign

Subjects: This activity is designed for a social studies, politics, civics or citizenship class.

Level: Elementary and secondary

Time needed: 60 minutes. For younger students and language learners, we recommend at least 90 minutes.