Montrose - Daily Press

Jake Long

MONTROSE - If your child starts to talk politics between bites at the dinner table, there's a good reason for it.

Kids Voting USA, a program that encourages political awareness, is hitting home.

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Montrose County School District Re-1J participates with Kids Voting USA, a national nonprofit, nonpartisan program, to encourage children to consider the importance of citizenship, to register to vote and to vote, said Linda Gann, Montrose Re-1J spokeswoman.

"To take the mystery out of that, so that when they become 18 years old and are truly eligible to vote, they will have a clear understanding of the process - what's involved and the importance," Gann said.

She said the program includes kindergarten through 12th-grade curriculum that is age and grade appropriate.

"It's obviously timely because of our General Election," Gann said. "Children - they'll be hearing commercials, they'll be seeing commercials, these political commercials, and this is an opportunity for them to feel empowered with knowledge about what the political process is about."

The program is nonpartisan, Gann said. Students in all Montrose/Olathe Schools will be involved in the program.

The district reaches 5,800 students.

"Ideally 5,800 students in the next 30 days will get a lesson or two in civics, American government and in politics," Gann said.

The hope is that students leave school and talk politics with their parents at home, she said.

"Each of our students will fill out a Kids Voting registration card very similar to the one that 18-year-olds fill out the first time, so they'll have an understanding of what it's like to register to vote," Gann said.

Registering to vote is one part of being a good citizen, she said. Being an informed voter is another aspect.

"They will be learning over the next 30 days what the issues are, who the candidates are, once again at an age-appropriate level," she said.

On election day, students are encouraged to vote with parents, Gann said.

"While the parents are voting in the General Election, there will be kids voting volunteers set up that will have a station for kids to vote on their ballot," she said. "And kindergarten will have just a few ballot questions and the high school kids will have practically a full ballet to vote on."

Others believe the program makes parents vote more.

Montrose Chamber of Commerce is the parent organization for Kids Voting USA locally, said Marge Keehfuss, the organization's executive director.

The chamber is responsible for raising the approximately $1,800 for Kids Voting USA because the national organization has to be paid in order to be involved, Keehfuss said.

The chamber views Kids Voting USA as an important learning vehicle because it increases adult voting 5 percent to 10 percent, Keehfuss said.

"The kids learn the curriculum in the schools, they'll go home and they'll ask their parents about different issues or different candidates," she said. "And they'll force their parents to go vote."

That is the program's basic premise.

"We get higher voter counts among the parents if the kids are behind them pushing them out the door to go vote," Keehfuss said. "So the kids get involved, they start talking about the issues. The parents - if they have never voted before or if they're kind of an apathetic voter, they don't vote in every election - they'll go to the polls. And that's our whole premise is to get the adults to vote and to train the youth so that they are voters when they grow up."

Gann said the idea is within the next 30 days "to have children talk with their parents about candidates, about the issues - local issues as well as national and state issues."

The program's purpose is creating informed and lifelong voters among today's youth, she said.

Gann said teachers get training this week.

"And I suspect, starting the first of October - going for that 30 days prior to the General Election - that's when the curriculum will be developed and introduced into the classroom," she said.

Teachers determine how much time is devoted to Kids Voting USA.

"Clearly American government class in the high schools will probably spend considerable time on the election," Gann said. "Our elementary schools, it will be part of their social studies curriculum. And because it's a General Election year, I assume teachers will take this opportunity to instruct their children on democracy and citizenship."

Contact Jake Long via e-mail at jakel@montrosepress.com.

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