The Willow Glen Resident Photograph by Skye Dunlap Kid Power: Seven-year-old Mimi Robinson deliberates over her ballot at the Stone Church on Election Day. Kids Voting program lets Willow Glen youth make their mark on Election Day Youngsters elected Davis and Boxer by a landslide By Mary Spicuzza 'I've been voting since the sixth grade," Caitlin Matalone said proudly as she cast her vote on Election Day at Stone Church of Willow Glen on Clark Way. A nearby voter, Lindsey McManus, confessed that this is her first time casting a ballot--but she's bubbling with excitement over the election. Considering that less than half of eligible voters cast ballots in the last presidential election--including fewer than 20 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds--not every American citizen can make those claims. What's even more impressive: Matalone and McManus are only 13 years old. The pair of eighth-graders from Saint Christopher's School in Willow Glen were two of 2,000 volunteers throughout Santa Clara County who helped get out the vote with Kids Voting USA. Kids Voting is a nonprofit, nonpartisan grass-roots organization dedicated to involving young people in the election process. "Many Americans were never taught how to vote, and that's what this is all about," Kids Voting Silicon Valley executive director Justin Trinh-Halperin says. "We want to get youth involved in the democratic process. This is meant to break down the intimidation around voting." Trinh-Halperin, who has lived in Willow Glen for three years, says he first got involved in 1996 because of his frustration with voter apathy. He's been a full-time staff member for almost a year. "We have the lowest voter turnout of any democracy ... it's an embarrassment," Trinh-Halperin sighs. "This group was founded to combat the crisis of voter apathy." If the excitement of Willow Glen's youth is any indication, the aloof electorate's days may be numbered. Students from local schools, including large groups from both St. Christopher's School and Presentation High School, got involved in every step of the process. They attended conferences, studied the issues and staffed the Kids Voting polls. The sites were located at adult voting polls--in hopes of making the election a family affair. "I think it's great to get the kids used to going to the polls," says Bill Ziegenhorn, Presentation High School's civics teacher. "The volunteers sometimes know more about the adults voting. And kids often motivate their parents to vote." Ziegenhorn has been involved with Kids Voting for four years. He says that Presentation students regularly attend the Kids Voting convention at the San Jose Civic Center and study the program's curriculum. "We focus on the nuts and bolts of how things are done. We even had mock debate, where different students picked a candidate to represent," Ziegenhorn says. Like many great inventions, Kids Voting has unusual roots. When three buddies from Arizona embarked on a fishing trip to Costa Rica in 1988, they discovered that voter turnout averages around 90 percent--by far the highest in the Western Hemisphere. They asked the locals for their secret, and were told about the tradition of parents bringing their children to the polls. Kids Voting USA is the only program in the country allowing young people to cast a ballot modeled after the official one. Kids make picks for governor, senator and local offices and vote on various bond measures. Among Silicon Valley's young people, Gray Davis and Barbara Boxer won by a landslide, as did the state school bond measure. Kids Voting USA is active in 40 states, with five million students, 200,000 teachers and 6,000 schools involved in hands-on lessons about the democratic process. Jeannie Gutierrez, a social studies teacher at St. Christopher's School, says the 19 student volunteers were thrilled to get personal experience with the election process. "Our school has been involved since the beginning. We've gone to rallies, speakers, candidate forums," Gutierrez says. On Election Day, Kids Voting volunteers worked at neighborhood sites including Stone Church, Divine Science Community Center, Willow Vale Community Church and River Glen School. In Silicon Valley, director Trinh-Halperin says that he hopes to continue with a debate series and ongoing education about America's political process. From the smiles of Matalone and McManus as they eagerly awaited voters at the polls, it's obvious that young people have enough momentum against voter apathy to go around. "It's better to get involved early," McManus wisely advises. Matalone nods in agreement, adding, "We need to show that kids have a voice." [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, November 11, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.