Kids Voting Arizona - History

Kids Voting was founded in Arizona in 1988 by three local businessmen from the East Valley. The program started that year as a pilot with 60,000 students supported by Bank One, Tribune Newspapers and the East Valley Partnership. By 1990, Kids Voting had grown to a statewide program with 650,000 Arizona students participating with the help of APS. Besides offering manpower and dollars, APS donated generously to Kids Voting through in-kind contributions and became Kids Voting Major Contributing Sponsor. The founding sponsors continued their support, and The Arizona Republic, our newest Major Contributing Sponsor, Phelps Dodge, and Intel Corporation joined what would become a growing list of annual contributors.

In 1990, a gubernatorial election year, 130,000 students joined adults at the polls - approximately 18.5% of the student population eligible to vote. Independent research showed that adult voting as increased by as much as 6% in communities with Kids Voting. Kids Voting was on its way!

In 1991, Kids Voting became two separate organizations: Kids Voting Arizona and Kids Voting USA. Kids Voting USA would go on to expand the program throughout the United States.

1992 brought new challenges for Kids Voting as it expanded across the nation and across the state for the Presidential election.  The majority of Arizona's public schools as well as many private schools, taught the Kids Voting curriculum. Many corporations, organizations and private entities provided cash as well as in-kind support.  1992 also was the first year a Kids Voting program ran statewide in a Presidential election year. Nearly 240,000 students voted in the first statewide Kids Voting Presidential election (a 55% increase from 1990); that year adult voter turnout increased by 3.4%!

In 1993, the Gila River Indian Community tribal election was the first Kids Voting local election. Through the assistance of the community's leaders and teachers, the Kids Voting curriculum was adapted to meet the needs of the tribal culture. That was the first experience for many adults who accompanied more than 500 students to the polls.  The tribal leaders attributed a 7% increase in adult voter turnout to the Kids Voting program.

Intel Corporation provided the first computer program based on the Kids Voting curriculum. The program was piloted in two school districts, and almost 3,000 students tested their skills by voting on a computerized ballot. Bank One joined APS as a Major Contributing Sponsor, and the list of contributors expanded.

By 1996, Kids Voting Arizona had become a full statewide effort thanks to the support of hundreds of businesses and volunteers. Students were receiving a true voting experience. With the added dimension of going to the polls, Kids Voting Arizona recorded more than double the participation of other student voting programs.

Today, Kids Voting Arizona is still the only statewide program in the nation. Kids Voting Arizona has also received many state awards acknowledging the broad and comprehensive efforts the program embraces.

The enormous success of Kids Voting has also been measured by Dr. Bruce Merrill of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. Dr. Merrill conducted post election surveys in Arizona after the 2000 election to determine perceptions of Kids Voting. 8% of adult voters in Arizona indicated Kids Voting was a factor in their decision to vote (over 100,000 adult voters). And nearly 3% (over 50,000 voters) said Kids Voting was the only reason they voted.

Thank you for helping Kids Voting Arizona make a difference in voter turnout, not only in Arizona but nationwide. In the first 16 years of Kids Voting Arizona elections, more than one million Arizona students cast ballots in Kids Voting Arizona elections. As excitement builds for the upcoming election, we hope to reach two million student voters with the help of your school, corporation or civic group!!