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You might not think voting would be a hot topic for librarians working with young children. But for us—Betsy, founder of the early literacy program Mother Goose on the Loose, and Rachel, coordinator of early childhood services at Brooklyn (NY) Public Library—it certainly is.

“What is the most important right you will have as an American citizen?” That was a question on the naturalization test Betsy’s husband took when applying for U.S. citizenship. The correct answer? “The privilege to vote.”

To encourage parents and caregivers to exercise this right, children’s librarians can incorporate voting into story times.

Studies show that active voters have parents who vote. “Most parents don’t realize democracy is a parenting issue,” says Lisa Bernstein, who is the publisher of Simply Put, a nonprofit distributing books and media to historically marginalized communities and encouraging civic engagement. “At every age and stage, families depend on government services. Affordable health care, child care, library funding, good schools, parks, and housing is all controlled by who wins elections. Librarians can help parents connect the dots.”

To start, invite all unregistered, eligible adults at your story time to complete voter registration forms before their state’s deadline, and particularly on September 17, 2024, National Voter Registration Day. (See ALA’s “Reader. Voter. Ready.” site for resources.

If they’re already registered, share nonpartisan information about polling dates and locations, early voting, and vote-by-mail options. Encourage grown-ups to take their children to polls to raise the next generation of voters.

Add fun voting activities to your programs to engage children and adults. At the end of story time, Betsy holds up each book and asks everyone who liked it to raise their hand. Then, “Everyone who liked every single book we read today, raise both hands, wave them around, and call out, ‘Woo Woo Woo Woo Woo!’ ” This type of “voting” ­creates a festive mood.

Caitlyn Tobin, assistant manager at Evansville Vanderburgh (IN) Public Library, read aloud Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award nominees each week and asked kids to vote on their favorite. “I’m also reading voting-themed books and making a little ballot box,” she says.

Other props can make voting fun, too. Betsy has a puppet ask yes-or-no questions, answered by a show-of-hands vote. The moose puppet always says he likes chocolate ice cream and asks, “Do you like chocolate ice cream, too?” Kids vote yes or no on that and other queries.

In a story time at her previous job at the Port Angeles (WA) Main Library, Jennifer Knight used puppets to embody candidates. “We read Duck for President by Doreen Cronin and I Votedby Mark Shulman, and then held a mock election with puppet candidates,” says Knight, now youth services librarian at Coos Bay (OR) Public Library. “Puppets each had a stump speech, and kids could vote using their initials, so it became a writing activity, too.”

Takira Rose, election poll worker and library assistant at East Asheville (NC) Public Library, encourages young artists to participate in her election services team’s “I Voted!” sticker design contest. And Alyssa Childs, children’s services librarian at Dayton (OH) Metro Library, invited a volunteer from the League of Women Voters to read aloud and share voting information. Then, “the kids got to vote if we had a puppet show or an art project.” An art activity with red and blue stars won.

Find out if other civic engagement activities involving kids are happening in your community and promote them. At your own programs, remind grown-ups that it’s empowering for kids to share their opinions. Close story time with this PSA: “Local and national U.S. elections are coming up, and we want to empower you adults also! Your opinions are important, and we want to make sure your voices are heard. That’s why on that table over there we have voter registration forms. It doesn’t take long to fill one out. By doing so, you will be able to vote in the upcoming election.”

For more tips and ideas, please join Brooklyn Public Library's free webinar on August 29 from 2–3 PM ET. "Voter Registration Storytimes" will explore ways librarians can share non-partisan voter information and encourage families to register to vote during story times. Speakers will model parent/caregiver voter engagement talking points, demonstrate playful and fun voting activities for kids, and share family-friendly voter registration resources. Find more information about speakers and register here. 

Betsy Diamant-Cohen is the founder of Mother Goose on the Loose. Rachel G. Payne is coordinator of early childhood services at Brooklyn Public Library.