Just how do elections work? And what is preferential voting?
Read Vote 4 Me and you’ll learn the answers to those questions.
Vote 4 Me takes place at Mount Mayhem School, where the kids have had enough of horrible uniforms and heaps of health food and having no sports equipment.
The kids and teachers decide there needs to be change, and change means electing student representatives.
Before they get started, Ms Sparks explains all about democracy.
Each of the students running for election think they’d be the best representative, and each have their own reasons for wanting to win.
They also make different comments and promises, all trying to win votes from their school mates.
Then Ms Sparks tells them how the voting will work, just like at real elections. It’s called preferential voting and it’s not as simple as just getting the most votes.
Vote 4 Me tells the story of the student representative election to demonstrate preferential voting in action. The process is clearly shown as the results are counted, and the nominees Jack, Kira, Farrel, and Alexandria watch and wait with their classmates.
Author Krys Saclier is an electoral educator and works with childen around Australia, teaching them about the Australian electoral system; and in this story she shows how it works in a way that makes sense for young and old.
Cathy Wilcox‘s illustrations are fun and engaging, with great use of diagrams and tables as the story and explanation progress. It nakes it easy to follow and understand how the voting works.
By the end of Vote 4 Me both the student characters and the story’s readers will be able to work out who has won the election and how.
You’ll never have to wonder what’s going on at an election when you have this to refer to. Vote 4 Me is perfect for home and school.
Visit the publisher’s website for teacher’s notes with curriculum links and classroom activities.
Title: Vote 4 Me
Author: Krys Saclier
Illustrator: Cathy Wilcox
Publisher: Wild Dog, $ 24.99
Publication Date: August 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781742035956
For ages: 7+
Type: Narrative Non-Fiction