A Kid's Guide to the Voting Process by Tammy Gagne

Author:Tammy Gagne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mitchell Lane

Lawrence Douglas Wilder became the first African-American governor of Virginia. In 1991, he announced he would run for president.

Three U.S. presidents began their political careers as mayors. Grover Cleveland was mayor of Buffalo, New York. Calvin Coolidge served as mayor of Northampton, Massachusetts. Andrew Johnson was mayor of Greeneville, Tennessee.

After four years as lieutenant governor, Wilder ran for governor of Virginia. It was the closest governor’s race the state had seen in the entire twentieth century. When the recount was done, Wilder had won by only 6,741 votes out of more than 1.7 million, but this small difference was enough to make him the first African-American elected governor in the nation.2

Like the presidency and other national offices, local government also depends on the voters to select its representatives. Local elections include races for governor, state representatives, mayor, and city council. Some areas also elect sheriffs, city clerks, and school board members. Many politicians begin working at this grassroots level and slowly work their way into higher offices. Numerous presidents of the United States have been former state governors. A few even started out as mayors.

The blueprint for our federal government is the U.S. Constitution. Every state also has its own constitution. Each of these important documents outlines all the laws for that state. State legislatures work much like the U.S. Congress and Senate to create and pass new laws. Do you know whether it is illegal in your state to drive while talking on a cell phone? What is the minimum age to get a driver’s license there? How old must someone be to get a part-time job? These matters are all decided by state legislatures.

Some laws that have been on the books for decades in certain states can be quite humorous. For example, in Maine it is against the law to keep Christmas decorations up after January 14. In South Carolina, a person must be at least 18 years old to use a pinball machine. Missouri state law has made it illegal to drive with an uncaged bear in the vehicle.3

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