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9th grade · Social Studies · Unit 5 of 9

Elections & Voting

Registering, primaries, parties and the Electoral College

What your child practices

How people register and vote, primaries and parties, the Electoral College, polls, campaign money and the media, and redistricting, with Arizona's electoral votes and who runs its elections.

Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: HS.C4.3; HS.C3.3 · the procedures for elections at each level, and the impact of parties, interest groups, elections and the media

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Being registered means your name is on the official list of eligible voters.
  2. The census decides House seats, and so electoral votes: Arizona has 11 for 2024–2028.
  3. The Arizona Secretary of State runs statewide elections. Judge campaign ads by checking claims against independent sources.

Example: Why is the census important for elections? The census counts people in every state. House seats are shared out by population. Answer: It decides how many House seats each state gets

Elections & Voting in Arizona

In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 5 of 9 in 9th grade Social Studies, after Three Branches and before Landmark Supreme Court Cases.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Arizona Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    What is a political party?

    • A government agency
    • A court
    • A group of people with similar ideas who try to win elections
    • A celebration

  2. Question 2

    What is a political platform?

    • A court
    • A ballot box
    • A stage for speeches only
    • A party's statement of its goals and positions

  3. Question 3

    What is an incumbent?

    • A campaign donor
    • A ballot
    • A first-time voter
    • The person who currently holds the office

  4. Question 4

    How many electoral votes does Arizona have in the 2024 to 2028 elections?

    • 2
    • 9
    • 11

  5. Question 5

    Why might a candidate win the presidency without the most popular votes nationwide?

    • The Electoral College is won state by state
    • Votes aren't counted
    • Congress picks the winner
    • It's impossible

  6. Question 6

    Which amendment lowered the voting age to 18?

    • The 19th
    • The 26th
    • The 1st
    • The 15th

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