7  | 

I found this helpful Thank You! Your vote will be tallied soon!

Who will kids vote for in Nickelodeon's Kids Pick the President election? (Photo by Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images)

Looking for a way to get your kids into the election? Nickelodeon is letting kids ask presidential candidates, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, their questions in a TV special, Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: Kids Pick the President, which airs at 9 p.m. EST/8 p.m. CST on Sunday, October 12. Ellerbee, an award-winning journalist, will conduct exclusive interviews with McCain and Obama using kids' questions on a range of topics to include the economy; the war in Iraq; global warming; health insurance; and immigration.

Following the show, kids will be able to cast their votes on Nick's election web site, at www.nick.com/kpp. Votes will be taken from October 12 to October 20.  Nickelodeon will announce the results of the vote at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST on Monday, October 20. Both the special and the kids' vote are the final entry in the network's yearlong Kids Pick the President initiative, meant to build young citizens' awareness and knowledge of the 2008 election process, its candidates and the issues.

In a press release from Nick, Ellerbee said, “Democracy works only if you participate in it, and this year we’ve all seen that kids are more interested than ever in participating,” said Ellerbee.  “We like to encourage this.  The candidates, by answering kids’ questions directly, are showing respect for kids, as have the presidential candidates in previous elections.  And, considering that in four of the last five presidential elections, kids have picked the same president the grownups have -- but a couple of weeks before the general election -- the media shows respect for how kids vote, too.”

The Nick election website also features candidate bios, an election calendar, videos, and more information about how the election process works.

Parents, your kid might offer you a view into who will win come November 4. Consider first, Ellerbee's quote that kids have voted for the winner in four of the last five presidential elections. Consider, too, that kids also correctly forecast Obama and McCain as the nominees in Nick's first-ever Kids Primary this year.


In the comments, discuss, how do you get your kids interested in current events? How do you think your kid would vote?