Kids Voting to be at the polls Nov. 8

School-aged children are encouraged to accompany their parents and caregivers to the polls on Nov. 8 to participate in Kids Voting USA/Woodford County.

A special voting booth will be set up in each polling place in the county. Students will be able to vote between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Votes will be cast on paper ballots. The ballot choices will be for U.S. President, U.S. Senate, U.S. Congress, and Kentucky state representative. Volunteers will be staffing the booths to explain the process to student voters. The votes will be tabulated by volunteers after 6 p.m. and the results presented for publication in The Woodford Sun. More than 1,200 kids participated in the last presidential election.

The purpose of the Kids Voting USA is to encourage children to understand, appreciate and be excited about the importance of accepting the responsibility to participate in supporting the democratic process by voting in each election. This program provides parents and guardians an opportunity to expose their children to the direct experience of seeing their family members and neighbors demonstrate their commitment to an essential foundation of the democratic process and to become comfortable with the process of voting. Adults are encouraged to use this experience to hold a conversation about the necessity of becoming an educated voter in order to maintain our democracy.

Graviss McDonald's is also encouraging students to take part in this educational event. When student voters register to vote, they will list their school, grade level and teacher's name. Each student in the class in each school which has the highest number of students voting will receive coupons for a McDonald's Meal. The coupons will be presented in the classroom at each school. All students are encouraged to participate, regardless of the type of school.

This program, sponsored by the Kids Voting USA/Woodford County steering committee, is co-sponsored this year by the Woodford County Woman's Club, the Midway Woman's Club and Graviss McDonald's. The steering committee members are Ellen Hellard, chair; Sheila Hollin, co-chair; Peggy Carter Seal, Adele Dickerson, Bob Waitkus, and Sharon Hardin. Kids Voting USA/ Woodford County has been endorsed by the Woodford County School System and the Woodford County Clerk's Office.

Call Sheila Holland at 873-9562 or Ellen Hellard at 873-8989 for more information.