As you are no doubt aware, this coming Tuesday (November 6) is Election Day in the United States, and, given the state of things in the country and the world, one of the most important presidential elections in a long time. We on GeekDad encourage all U.S. citizens who are registered to vote to make sure to go to the polls on Tuesday (or before, if possible), regardless of who your pick is for president.
I also encourage all parents who are going to vote, if your kids are old enough to understand what you’re doing, to consider bringing them to the polling place with you. It’s a unique opportunity for them to see citizens — and, more specifically, you — exercise their right to participate in government. It’s the sort of experience that can stick in their heads and help foster an interest in government and politics. I can speak from personal experience here: my parents took me with them to the voting booth pretty much every year when I was growing up. That, combined with other things they did, like simply talking about the news at the dinner table, definitely helped make me as fascinated by the political process as I am today.
I’m not suggesting that you take your kids out of school if they don’t have today off — as many districts do — but if you can manage to take them with you after school, it’s something to consider. But even if you choose not to bring your kids, go out and be a good citizen: vote!
(Comments have been disabled to avoid partisan flamewars.)
