Local Voting Explained

Overview

In this lesson, students learn what a local election is and why voting helps communities. They explore the idea of choosing someone to represent local people through a friendly, age-appropriate simulation.

Learning intentions

• WALT: Explain how local elections work in simple steps.
• WALT: Say why voting matters for our local community.
• WALT: Practise taking turns and listening respectfully during a voting activity.

Success criteria

• I can name who you vote for in a local election (a local representative/candidate).
• I can describe the basic election steps: talk about choices, vote, count votes, share results.
• I can explain one reason voting matters (e.g., helps services improve or makes sure local voices are heard).
• I can take part respectfully in a class vote and follow classroom “election rules”.

Curriculum links

• PSHE: relationships and responsibilities, including how communities work and how decisions affect people.
• Citizenship (taught through PSHE): understanding the role of voting in a democracy and respecting others’ choices.
• Social skills for learners: listening, turn-taking, and collaborating in group decision-making.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 mins: Welcome and lesson focus

• Share the WALT in child-friendly language: “We are learning how local elections work and why we vote.”
• Establish calm “listening rules” for the activity (hands up, listening eyes, kind words).

2. 5–15 mins: Story-based introduction (local choices)

• Use a short teacher-read story or picture prompts about a local place (park, school routes, local library).
• Pause and ask: “What problems might people in our area want help with?” “How could we choose someone to help?”

3. 15–25 mins: Explain the election steps with visuals

• Display a simple storyboard with 4 pictures:
• People talk about what they want
• Candidates/people share what they would do
• People vote
• Votes are counted and results shared
• Check understanding with quick questions: “What happens first/next?”

4. 25–35 mins: Role-play (teaching the process)

• In small groups, assign roles: candidate (or “helper”), voters, and a “counting team”.
• Practise the script:
• “Here is what I would do for our area.”
• “I choose by voting.”
• “We count votes and share the result.”
• Teacher models respectful behaviour and turn-taking.

5. 35–50 mins: Class election simulation (core activity)

• Run a mini election with a safe, classroom topic (e.g., “Which classroom helper job should we do more next week?” or “Which story should we read first tomorrow?”).
• Steps:
• Present 2–3 simple “candidate posters” (teacher-made) showing ideas in pictures and short sentences.
• Students make choices by placing a vote token into the correct box.
• Counting: the “counting team” counts aloud with teacher support.
• Share results: “The winner is…”

6. 50–57 mins: Why voting matters (discussion + sentence building)

• Provide sentence starters for students:
• “Voting matters because…”
• “It helps people…”
• “Our community can…”
• Collect 2–3 answers from different students and summarise: voting helps local voices be heard.

7. 57–60 mins: Quick check-out

• Students complete an “exit choice” using thumbs or a card:
• “I can say one election step” / “I can say why voting matters.”
• Praise participation and respectful behaviour.

Resources

• Teacher-made picture storyboard of the election process (4–5 panels)
• Candidate poster cards (2–3) with large images and very short text
• Voting tokens (counters) and two or three ballot boxes
• “Counting team” recording sheet (simple tally marks or dots)
• Role-play name badges (voter, candidate, counting team)
• Sentence starter cards for “Voting matters because…”
• Visual timer and clear classroom election rules poster
• Optional: simple class display board for results

Assessment

• Teacher observes whether students can sequence the election steps during role-play/storyboard discussion.
• Teacher checks that students can state at least one reason voting matters in the discussion.
• Use exit choice cards to confirm individual understanding at the end of the lesson.

Differentiation

• Support (Autism/ADHD-friendly):
• Use visual storyboard and consistent routine for each stage (introduce, show steps, role-play, vote, count).
• Provide clear, limited choices (2 candidates at first).
• Give role cards with concrete instructions and time-limited prompts.
• Support for communication needs:
• Allow pointing to pictures or using choice cards instead of full sentences.
• Offer pre-practised phrases during role-play (“I choose by voting”).
• Extension (advanced learners):
• Add a “results” step variation: ask “What would happen if lots of people disagree?” and discuss how counting votes decides fairly.
• Ask them to explain how voting helps people who can’t speak for themselves in class (e.g., “It represents our voices”).
• EAL / SEN:
• Use visuals throughout and short, repeated model sentences.
• Provide translated sentence starters if needed and allow responses with pictures or single words.

Extension (optional)

• Simulate a “community decision” in the next lesson: students vote again, then compare choices and reflect on how the results guide what happens next.