Polling Place Exhibit 2018: Kids Vote for New Theme Days at Madison Children’s Museum

The historic election of 2016—it was a shining example of thoughtful, reasoned democracy in action… here at Madison Children’s Museum.

Certainly, you remember where you were Tuesday, November 8, when Seymore the giant bluegill triumphed over all exhibit challengers and won the right to sit in the Community Concourse at the museum. That’s also the day that young visitors to the museum saw their dreams to celebrate Poop Day become reality, as the referendum, they voted on passed easily and enshrined the holiday in the museum’s calendar (observed the Saturday before the Super Bowl each year).

Now it’s election time again, both in the museum and the broader community. In advance of the Partisan Primary on August 14, and leading up to the 2018 General Election on November 6, we’re bringing back our popular Polling Place exhibit. The exhibit is installed during all presidential elections and some others, to help kids learn about the electoral process.

Kids are invited to cast their ballots to help us decide on the topic for an upcoming theme day. Voters must be under 18 (no ID is necessary). On the ballot are Amazing Animals Day, Robot Day, and World Culture Fair Day, and also includes a Referendum on Backwards Day. As with all elections, write-in candidates are welcome.

• Robot Day Celebrate National Robotics Week with fellow robo-fans and fanatics. Tinker, build, and program a robot’s “brain” and body using metals, electronics, plastics, egg cartons and more!
• Amazing Animals Day Have you ever petted a micro-mini donkey, a hedgehog, or chinchilla? Meet cool animal visitors to MCM, and get reacquainted with the museum’s resident animals at a day totally dedicated to our furry, finned, and feathered friends.
• World Culture Fair Day Try rhyming in Icelandic, eating a pupusa from El Salvador, or playing a Liberian version of Mancala. Take a trip around the world and sample art, music, food, and languages of communities’ rich and diverse cultural heritage.

A sample ballot for Madison Children’s Museum’s 2018 Polling Place exhibit election

As grown-ups grapple with issues around how to run fair campaigns and elections, there’s never been a better time to educate children and involve them in a democratic exercise built just for them. Voting with kids is a great way to encourage civic engagement and set a pattern for lifelong voter participation.