Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site features designated kids voting location during early voting
ERIE COUNTY, NY— Thanks to a partnership between the Erie County Historical Commission and the New York Public History Trust, Kids Voting USA is coming back to New York State, starting with Erie County. Announced by Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz in his 2025 State of the County address, Kids Voting USA is a nonpartisan, grassroots-driven voter education program committed to creating lifelong voting habits in children, increasing family communication about engaged citizenship, and encouraging greater adult voter turnout. The Daughters of the American Revolution and the League of Women Voters are co-sponsoring this initiative and are providing the volunteer support to staff for Kids Voting at the TR Site.
“Civic participation can take many forms, but regular voting is one of the most important for maintaining our democracy. Research shows that families who establish voting as a routine habit during childhood raise children which become lifelong voters,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “I thank the Historical Commission and the NY Public History Trust for partnering to bring this critical program back to Erie County.”
Poloncarz was joined today at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site by Historical Commission Co-Vice Chair Lindsey Lauren Visser and TR Site Executive Director Spencer Morgan to kick off kids Voting USA and to inspect a colorful voting booth that use will use when casting their ballots. Two ballot types for participating kids will be available: one county ballot and one mayoral ballot. In this way City of Buffalo kids can participate in the mayoral primary while at the county level Sheriff John Garcia, running unopposed, will be facing off against Deputy Dog and Wyatt Earp.
Historical Commission Co-Vice Chair Lindsey Lauren Visser added, “We are pleased to announce this June primary election will feature a designated kids voting location during early voting at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site. Participating youth will have an electronic ballot with all the same offices and candidates as the adult ballot, but the kids’ ballot will have an additional item: Proposition One: Should 4th grade students across Erie County have the opportunity to celebrate Constitution Week by participating in a free field trip to the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site? This proposition will allow young people to use their civic voice and learn firsthand that elections have tangible outcomes.”
Thanks to the partnership between the Commission and the TR site, fourth grade students will have the opportunity to take a field trip to the site during Constitution Week, which is September 15 – 19. These field trips will be just one of the ways Erie County will commemorate Constitution Week. Building on the success of the Historical Commission's 2024 program, students will once again have the opportunity to take a field trip to Old County Hall on September 17th, Constitution Day, to learn about the branches and levels of government. As part of the program, students will explore a policy Erie County Legislators are considering and state their position directly to our elected officials. Last year, 40 students participated in the field trip and discussed the proposed term limit legislation that was then before the Legislature.
For more information:
On the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site, visit https://www.nps.gov/thri/index.htm
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