Community Organizer Kinzie Mabon shares her experience from Pride in the Park in Lincoln. For more information about our community outreach programs or to request a kid-friendly mock election, email Kinzie at kinzie.mabon@civicnebraska.org.
Saturday July 8th was a hot one, but I was very excited to represent Civic Nebraska at Pride in the Park! Not only did I get a few new people registered to vote, I also had an interactive voting booth for kids to vote on their favorite superpowers. This activity was made to help children get used to the process of voting — asking for your ballot, going into the voting booth, voting, and returning your ballot to the poll worker (me!). This was a lot of fun, and it seemed to be exciting for both parents and kids.
As a result of this activity, I would now like to share the outcome of Civic Nebraska’s first practice election:
With 20 ballots cast the winner is… (drumrolllllllllll)….the superpower of invisibility by five votes!
Super strength, flying, and mind control tied for second place with three votes each.
Honorable write-in mentions : super speed, the ability to talk to animals, and the power to make people be quiet (seriously, why didn’t I think of that??). The main lesson I’ve learned here is that when given a chance, children will absolutely be as sneaky as possible.
Pride in the Park was a great way to spend my Saturday morning, with friends and community members. We are so grateful to OutLinc for providing Civic Nebraska the opportunity to talk with kids and adults about the importance of voting, especially in the LGBTQ+ community, and for providing a family friendly atmosphere in which we could discuss civic engagement as a whole. Hope to see you again next year!
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Outlinc is a nonprofit organization that engages in and fosters the well-being and advancement of the LGBTQ community through excellence in service, recreation, education, and celebration. Learn more about them HERE!
