SEATTLE — Talking about the upcoming presidential election with young children can be tough, especially in a political climate that continues to heat up ahead of election day.
There was an effort to involve children in the democratic process around Seattle on Sunday, without the icky-ness of adult politics.
One of those places was inside a community garden in West Seattle, where grassroots politics is beginning to sprout.
“You kind of think about both sides and who’s your favorite,” said 12-year-old Kian.
“Yeah, and who do you think will make a better impact on the world and who will make the world better than it already is now,” responded Kian’s 10-year-old sister, Sage.
On Sunday, Sage and Kian cast their first vote in a real election, without all the adult politics. Kids from around the West Seattle community voted on what community event they would like to see next.
The kid election was the brainchild of community members Ada Spae and Karen Winter.
“The voting is not about the national electoral politics, which are alarming to pretty much everybody,” Winter explained. “This is about kids knowing that they can vote for something and have a voice."
“We got it out of the arena of the presidential election and into the arena of, ‘Hey kids, this is what you can do to make a difference, and when you get older, you can help make this difference,'" Spae continued.
In case you needed a reminder, Election Day is Tuesday. There are events across the city encouraging residents to vote, while also allowing children into the process.
In Seattle’s Green Lake neighborhood, there was a similar scene with a similar message Sunday. Parents with ballots in hand, accompanied by their children, marched to the ballot box.
“If only a couple people voted, then it would only be off theirs and not everyone’s opinion,” Kian said.
And with the presidential election quickly approaching – a reminder that young voters are watching. A generation of kids watching to see how adults behave.
“Voting is a privilege, and it’s a right, and how can we teach these kids about voting when everybody is up in a huff,” Spae said.
Track election results and analysis with KING 5
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, watch NBC coverage of the 2020 election on KING 5 from 4-11 p.m. to follow national election results and analysis.
Tune in to western Washington election coverage from 8-11 p.m. on KONG and 11 p.m. to midnight on KING 5. Local coverage will also stream live on king5.com and the KING 5 app.