Minnesota Secretary Of State - Your Vote Matters
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Your Vote Matters


The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State is committed to helping teachers prepare young Minnesotans to vote.

Your Vote Matters is a high school voter education program to support Minnesota civics and government teachers.

The program includes:

  • Classroom visits from Secretary of State Steve Simon
  • A new unit for grades 9-12 on voting in Minnesota
  • Support for school registration drives
  • Materials on the Voting Rights Act’s 50th anniversary
  • Free 2023-2024 Blue Book Pocket Editions for classroom use
  • Information on how students can become election judge trainees.

 

Your Vote Matters Unit on Voting

This three-lesson unit teaches students about voting rights, the importance of voting, and how to get ready to vote. It includes ready-to-print handouts, interactive discussion prompts, and engaging classroom activities. Each lesson lasts one class period and can be taught independently or together.

 

Order free pocket Legislative Manuals for students

The pocket edition of the 2023-2024 Minnesota Legislative Manual is a guide to Minnesota’s government, including the state and nation’s founding documents, state legislature, state executive offices, and much more. 

Minnesota teachers can sign up to have up to 150 sent to their classrooms free of charge. Send an email to secretary.state@state.mn.us with quantities and your shipping information.

 

Encourage students to be election judges

Students ages 16 and 17 can become election judge trainees. It's an invaluable chance to both contribute to democracy and learn the mechanics of how elections are run.

 

 

Register students to vote

Get your students started on the path to voting by registering them to vote in your classroom! To learn how, read the teacher's guide for registering students to vote.

 

Request a classroom visit from Secretary of State Steve Simon

Throughout the school year, including on National Voter Registration Day, Secretary Simon will be visiting classrooms to talk about the importance of voting and civic participation. If you would like to request a visit from the Secretary of State to your classroom, please send a formal request to secretary.state@state.mn.us.

In your request, please include your name, e-mail, phone number, school, grade, subject(s) you teach, when you would like the Secretary to visit (including day and time), and any other information that might be helpful. We hope to accommodate as many requests as possible.