Has anyone here ever taken your children to the polls with you?

[five_horizons]

I live in Florida, and I plan to take the day off from work tomorrow and vote early. Three of my kids also have the day off from school. I thought it would be interesting and educational for them to come along and check out what the voting process is like. They seem to have taken a strong interest in the election this year, mainly because of my Obama/Biden support and the fact that my wife and I talk politics a lot.

But I wonder how elections offices feel about bringing kids, and even if there are laws preventing such a thing. I did a Google search on it, and it seems like many people do this with no problem. But one website I visited said the law regarding kids in polling booths vary from state to state. Does anyone know if there is any type of Florida statute on this?

[leftynyc]

1. I don't know about now

but my parents always took my sister and I into the booth with them to vote. Of course, I'm 47 now and things may have changed. (This was in New York)\

I suggest calling your local Board of Elections and see what the story is (they probably have a website also)

[FSogol]

2. Here in VA, I have taken my sons. State laws vary, but most allow young children

to accompany their parents into the voting booth.

[Tesla]

5. They have always encouraged it where I vote

I take at least one if not both everytime I have voted here in Ohio

[paparush]

3. I have done that here in NC. Poll workers thought it was a great idea.

[torbird]

31. Ah, I miss the old days!

In Charlotte, my mom used to let us pull the big lever after she flipped all the tabs on the old voting machines. Wow, did those things suck. But, it was much more fun than a paper ballot.

Good times.

[beyurslf]

4. I see people bring kids (not in FL).

I think it is a great idea.

[Erin Elizabeth]

6. Every single time I've voted.

My daughter is now 14. I've taken her every voting year except when she was little bitty. I take her even if it's "just" a school board election. I taught her about the suffrage movement. She knows how important voting is.

[TornadoTN]

7. I took my three-year old son during the primaries in Tennessee

He enjoyed it and seemed to really grasp what was going on. Of course, he can't grasp the intricacies but he knows that voting is important and that our President is like the "Daddy" or the "Teacher" for our entire country and that its important that we get a good one so things go right and everyone's happy.

He also knows that Daddy and Mommy love Obama, so he knows when he hears him speaking on TV or when he sees the signs!

I had no problems with taking my son and I thought it was a rich and rewarding experience. He is going with me to early vote this afternoon!

[NOW tense]

8. My Mom used to bring me

It is a great civics lesson. I remember standing in the booth with her while she voted.

[cosmik debris]

9. Absolutely!

I believe it is important to set an example and to teach children what it is all about.

But I live in Texas, so I don't know how Fl. handles that sort of thing.

[SmokingJacket]

10. Here's a legal decision from FL:

http://elections.myflorida.com/opinions/new/1989/de8901.pdf

It says that prohibiting kids from accompanying parents would deter votes, so that it's okay.

I live in NY. At my polling place in a school, I've seen teachers vote with 30 kids stuffed in the booth!

And my kids have always pulled the levers for us...

[City Lights]

11. I'm in IL and I took my kids with me when they were younger.

No info on FL though...sorry.

[MJkcj]

12. I have always taken my kids with me on election day

They usuakky get a "I voted" sticker too! I have done it in california and maryland so i cant speak for the rest of the country but I think it could be a hardship for some people to vote if they were forbidden to bring kids - not everyone has childcare available to them

[specialed]

13. We always take our kids. I consider it an important lesson in civics.

[VWolf]

14. Never had a problem here in NJ

4yo & 8yo daughters

[mscuedawg]

15. My daughter came with me to the primary polls....

Her school is having a mock election on 10/30 and she is very excited!!! She's been asking a lot of questions and actually, I'm glad that she's interested...I never was until I was an adult... She even watched the first debate with me...and commented on how old McCain was...lol!

:hi:

Edited to say: She's 8 and in the 3rd grade...

[rateyes]

16. I've taken my kids behind the voting curtain and let them pull the levers!

But, only the ones where the candidate had a (Democrat) beside their name.

[Sedona]

17. I brought the kids in Florida

from 1984-1992 in Broward County, never had a problem

[Demi_Babe]

18. I take my 6 year old daughter every year and make her a part of it

[Clio the Leo]

19. I cast my first vote for Al Gore's first senate run when was 11 years old....

... my daddy's let me push the plunger for him. I have been voting straight democratic ever since lol.

Take your kids! Take their friends! Explain to them about what everyone's job is. There will no doubt be seniors working the polls that day and you know seniors love to see little kids.

They'll be fine.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

20. My mom always took me to the polls

The poll workers were surprised that I knew so much about the election--we'd come at a lull in the voting and I would talk with them. I don't have children of my own, so I don't know about now. I haven't seen any children at the polls when I have voted.

[fight4my3sons]

21. I took my 4yr old twins to vote early with me.

All three of my kids went to caucus with me and my husband during the primaries. I live in Maine - I don't know about Florida.

[Birthday]

22. That is a priority!!

I love taking my children with me to vote. I want them to see us doing it, and to remember all of my stirring lectures about how important it is to vote. I am raising three Democrats, so they had better remember this and follow suit!!!

[endarkenment]

23. yes

[onetiredmom]

24. I take my son every time.

He's eleven yrs old, and has been asking, "When are we early voting?" We walked to our early polling place the other evening to vote, but it was closed. It closed at 6:00, I thought it closed at 7:00. I could easily stop on my way home and dash in to vote, but he wants to go with me so we will try this weekend. Where I vote in Texas, I've always been able to take him with me. Don't know what they will do when he gets to be an ole' hairy-legged teenage boy!!

[Left Is Write]

25. Yes. I have brought my younger children to the polls, most recently in 2006 when my son was 4.

[Robyn66]

26. I have always brought mine

But I am in New Hampshire

[denese]

27. I live in Florida too

I take them with me every time.
Never had a problem.

[crispini]

28. Don't know about Florida law, but hell YEAH bring 'em.

I'm an election judge and we have kids every election day that come and vote with their parents. This is what will make theim into good voters in the future. My mom took me every time she went to vote and look what she got -- a political junkie. :) I remember "voting" for mom when Reagan ran against Carter -- and we had discussed it a lot. Back in those days you went into the voting booth and the curtains closed behind you and you moved the little levers to vote. Very, very memorable for a kid.

[LynzM]

29. I always do!

Can't help you with how the officials will feel there, since I'm in Connecticut, but I've never been given any grief for it. I consider it important to teach her about her role as a citizen. :)

[NightHawk63]

30. I walked to our local community center with my step-daughter...

in 1996 to cast her first vote for Bill Clinton. That made me very proud.

[Zuiderelle]

32. Yes, He loves going with us.

[yardwork]

33. Yes! Often polling places will even have educational materials for children.

My mother always took me with her when she voted. She explained that the League of Women Voters volunteered at the polling place, and that voting was a constitutional right and also a responsibility of citizens in the United States. She told me about the history of voting rights. I have very fond memories of going to the polling place with my mother and watching her vote.

I brought my children with me as soon as they were old enough to walk. Now that they're teens, they don't really want to accompany me, but I look forward to voting with them when they turn eighteen.

The family that votes together embraces democracy together.

[Jennicut]

34. I am this year. My 3 and 4 year old daughters asked to come so I said yes.

They want to see where I "go to vote for Barack". Kind of funny, they seem him on t.v. all the time.

[seabeyond]

35. since oldest was very young, we did it as a family. my children LOVE to go with

me to vote. you can just feel a pride in them when i go into vote. is a big deal in our house.

but then this non real american instills very real values on integrity ect...

[TuxedoKat]

36. We always bring mine.

My husband takes one and I take the other and we let them pull down the knob(s) and then pull the lever to register the vote. I took a picture of the younger one pulling the knob(s) for Barack Obama in the primary. For the election I will take a photo of the older one holding up the younger one pulling the switch and I will forward the photo to the Obama Campaign.

[Princess Buttercup]

37. My son (age 10) has been bugging me about when we get to vote

I early voted during the primary without him and he got really mad at me. I didn't take him to the caucus (we live in Texas) since he had standardized testing the next day. He supported Obama before anyone else in the family, so he thinks he deserves to get to push the button when we go vote for Obama. He has been reminding me that early voting has started, and we drove by the polling place yesterday afternoon. There was a huge line, so we didn't go in to wait (my son is on crutches right now for a broken kneecap so we need to minimize the time he has to stand up).

We are going to go early vote Saturday morning and then go get breakfast. Meanwhile, he wears his Obama button on his backpack, wears his "Yes We Can" shirt to school, and makes sure our sign and our neighbor's sign don't fall over or blow away.

He's been to vote with me before, but usually he's just been there to get a sticker. This time he really knows what's going on. I am proud of him.

[Bonobo]

38. I usually take a kid. No problem here.

I think it is important.

[sufrommich]

39. I used to take my son right into the voting booth with me.

I'm showing my age,but it was back in the day when we had those huge booths with the levers and curtains. I think it's important to get kids excited about voting at a young age.

[Alter Ego]

40. My mother always did.

I "voted" for Bill Clinton when I was 11--that is, I filled in my mother's ballot--and I was allowed to put it into the counting machine.

[BklynChick]

41. I'm in NY, and have always (since 2yo) taken my daughter right into the booth w/me.

[joop]

42. I always do

and they get "I voted" stickers. I intentionally scoot first thing or wait until after school so they can be part of the Democratic process. Muy importante to me. Take them!

[MadinMo]

43. The kids go with us.

And I have vivid memories of going into the voting booth with my mom. The kind with curtains and levers.

[scheming daemons]

44. I have done it several times... YES.. they are allowed.... at least in PA

[FloridaGrl]

45. Yes I did

and there were many others folks with kids. Just make sure if you have little ones to bring their stroller, games and snacks because they will get fussy waiting for hours.

[five_horizons]

51. Fortunately they are 14, 10 and 10... so I shouldn't have to worry about that

[cindyw]

46. Always, I let the filling in of the pres bubble be a big deal.

That way they feel like we are voting together. I think it makes the vote seem like something they look forward to doing themselves. Also I want them to grow up understanding that when you have children you are voting for them.

[CowboyHeyHey]

47. My mom always took me

And I continue to value (to the point of idealizing) voting to this day. You should definitely do it, if possible. It's giving them a wonderful gift.

[gblady]

48. I used to take mine....

when they were younger...
I think it's a great educational moment.

[WolverineDG]

49. I used to go voting with my parents

I would go into the booth with my mom & my brothers with my dad. I think it's cute & a good way to teach your kids about their civic duty & constitutional right to vote!

dg

[Jersey Devil]

50. Did that many times in NJ

and never heard anyone complain about it.

[davsand]

52. We have ALWAYS involved our child in politics AND voting.

She is a regular at local political events and has been to the polls a few times with us. Some years we have had to early vote or absentee vote because we do GOTV work every election, but if we vote in our home precinct she always goes along.

Literally, I have seen my kid give advice to a Congressional Candidate about how much candy to or throws to allow for any given parade route--she has been THAT involved in the process over the years. She has met Obama a couple of times, Michelle a couple of times, and Durbin several times. (She first met Durbin when she was 6 weeks old--it is a kind of annual thing with those two, now.) She knows several of our State officials and is pals with a couple of IL Senators and House members. Yes, she has been a part of the process...

I think it is important to involve and INVEST kids in the process. If you CAN take them to the polls you need to do it, and if you can't take your kid to the polls (by law) then I'd suggest working to change that law in your home state.




Laura

[five_horizons]

53. Thanks to everyone for the replies!

Sounds like I shouldn't have any problems. I'm going to call the Board of Elections today just to make sure. I'm really looking forward it, and the kids are too! I haven't told them about the long lines yet, but like I said upthread they are older and much more patient than I am. ;)

[ourbluenation]

54. You bet - in 04 I took my daughter in the booth and let her push the pin for Kerry

[MrsMatt]

55. Always

our polling place has a kid's area, where they can pretend to vote too.

After voting, we always go out for ice cream at the same restaurant - it's become our tradition, and it provides the kids with positive reinforcement of the process.

[Beausoir]

56. I take all 5 with me every time I vote. They all get stickers.

[Okie4Obama]

57. I take my five year old.

This year I'm going to let her draw the line between the arrow for Barack Obama.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

58. absolutely...always took them right in the booth with me...on everyone of their 18th b'days

they registered to vote.

we eat, drink and sleep politics.

our family holiday get gatherings are always wonderful and loud.

[Rocknrule]

59. When I was younger I used to be fascinated with voting machines

Now I just see them as loaded casino machines in disguise

[WritingIsMyReligion]

60. In Maine it's perfectly legal--they can even come in the booth with you and watch you vote.

I think younger kids, as long as they aren't so young that they would cry and carry on and such, are fine, since the officials don't expect them to really understand what's going on anyway or try to "influence" you. Teenagers could be more problematic--they might have to stay outside the booth. But in general I think it's okay.

[shaniqua6392]

61. I have always taken my daughters with me to vote.

My oldest now goes to vote herself. My youngest is turning 16 next week. I think it is great for them to go with you. They see how excited I am about it and I use it for a learning experience. My kids have always had election day off and we go to vote and then go out to lunch and talk about it. They have always looked forward to it. I don't think that states could have laws against bringing children to the polls. It would be disenfranchising to many voters who have no child care available or who can not afford it.

[shaniqua6392]

62. Here is a court case from Florida that may help you.

It was decided that it is legal for parents to bring children to the polls in Florida.
http://74.125.95.104/search?q=cache:_nH8mBoQKK4J:elections.myflorida.com/opinions/new/1989/de8901.pdf+florida+law+bringing+children+to+the+voting+booth&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a

[msanthrope]

63. I take my daughter here in PA. n/t

[briv1016]

64. I'm only 21 so don't have any kids. (That I know of...)

But I clearly remember my parents bringing me to the polls with them when I was a kid.