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9th grade · Social Studies · Unit 8 of 10

Elections & Voting

From registering to the Electoral College

What your child practices

Practices how people register and vote, primaries and parties, the Electoral College, campaigns and polls, and redistricting, with how Minnesota runs its elections.

Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards benchmark: 9.1.4.5; 9.1.1.2 · elections and how to take part in them

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. A political party is a group with similar ideas that tries to win elections.
  2. Minnesota lets eligible voters register at the polls on Election Day, and its turnout is often among the highest.
  3. The president is chosen by electors in the Electoral College. When turnout is low, a small share of voters decides for everyone.

Example: Why do lower-turnout elections matter? Everyone lives with the results. But only the people who vote choose them. Answer: A small share of voters can decide outcomes for everyone

Elections & Voting in Minnesota

In the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards, this is unit 8 of 10 in 9th grade Social Studies, after Landmark Supreme Court Cases and before How Laws Are Made.

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: Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)

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

    How is the president chosen?

    • By electors in the Electoral College, based on each state's vote
    • By the Supreme Court
    • Directly by Congress
    • By the governors

  2. Question 2

    What is a ballot measure?

    • A candidate's speech
    • A poll
    • A tax receipt
    • A question on the ballot that voters decide directly

  3. Question 3

    How old must you be to vote in US elections?

    • 25
    • 18
    • 16
    • 21

  4. Question 4

    Why is the census important for elections?

    • It decides how many House seats each state gets
    • It picks the president
    • It sets tax rates
    • It counts votes

  5. Question 5

    Which amendment lowered the voting age to 18?

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

  6. Question 6

    Minneapolis and St. Paul let voters rank candidates in order of preference in city elections. This is called…

    • a filibuster
    • ranked-choice voting
    • gerrymandering
    • the Electoral College

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