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9th grade · Social Studies · Unit 8 of 11

Elections & Voting

Registering, primaries and the Electoral College

What your child practices

How Texans register and vote, open primaries and runoffs, political parties and third parties, the Electoral College, the 17th Amendment, campaigns, and redistricting after the census.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: GOV.3(A); GOV.9(B); GOV.9(C); GOV.10(A); GOV.10(B); GOV.13(C) · political parties, the Electoral College, the 17th Amendment, and how to register and who may vote

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. The census decides how many House seats, and electoral votes, each state gets.
  2. A candidate needs 270 of 538 electoral votes. Since states are won one by one, a candidate can win without the most popular votes.
  3. Texas has open primaries and runoffs. Gerrymandering draws districts to favor one side.

Example: How many electoral votes does a candidate need to win the presidency? There are 538 electoral votes. A majority is more than half: 270. Answer: 270

Elections & Voting in Texas

In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 8 of 11 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: Texas Education Agency (TEA)

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

    Why do candidates debate?

    • To count votes
    • So voters can compare their ideas
    • Because the law requires it every week
    • To pick judges

  2. Question 2

    How old must you be to vote in US elections?

    • 25
    • 21
    • 16
    • 18

  3. Question 3

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

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

  4. Question 4

    Why is the census important for elections?

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

  5. Question 5

    What is a political platform?

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

  6. Question 6

    Texas voters who vote in person are asked to show…

    • a library card
    • nothing at all
    • an acceptable photo ID
    • a report card

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