KIDS VOTING ELECTION 2011 TEACHER RESOURCE KIT

KIDS VOTING 2011 ABOUT THIS RESOURCE This Guide has been designed to support you as you deliver your Kids Voting election for the 2011 General Election and Referendum on the Voting System, and is intended to support the accompanying Your Voice, Your Choice resource. We would encourage you to cover material included in the Your Voice, Your Choice resource that is aligned with the vision, principles, values and key competencies of the New Zealand Curriculum.

CURRICULUM LINKS The sequence of learning activities included in the Your Voice, Your Choice resource engages students in a social inquiry study of New Zealand’s government, decision making and electoral processes and connects with the front end of the New Zealand Curriculum. The learning units promote creative and critical thinking from students about the electoral process, how governments make decisions and key influences determining the choices voters make on Election Day.

TIMETABLE Election Day is Saturday 26 November. Kids Voting elections can be held from Wednesday 9 November until Tuesday 22 November. It is illegal to distribute replica copies of the ballot papers on the three days before an election. Vote counting can take place after Election Day. A General Election can be held at any time with usually six to eight weeks notice. This year the date of the General Election and Referendum on the Voting System was announced early because of New Zealand hosting the Rugby World Cup. The Electoral Commission will seek to email Kids

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Voting ballot papers to schools as soon as possible after Nominations close on 1 November. You can do much of the material covered in the Your Voice, Your Choice resource at any time prior to the election and then follow the election campaign through current affairs.

INITIAL PREPARATION WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES You may wish to do some initial preparation with fellow teachers about how to manage Kids Voting in your school. You might like to: Speak to colleagues whose classes will be taking part in the election and involve them in the planning of your school’s election. Think about roles. To run the election you will need to have a Returning Officer, a Registrar of Electors, an Electoral communication team and Issuing Officers. For the count you will need Counters. Students can fill many of these roles. Details of what each role entails are included on page 4 of this kit. Hold a preliminary planning meeting with all relevant teachers, and students who are keen to be involved. Agree on the amount of time your school wishes to devote to preparation for the election and learning activities. For instance: How many periods will be spent covering the relevant topics? Will voting take place during class or at break or lunchtime? Will you allow advance voting? Use this guide and the Your Voice, Your Choice resources according to the time you have available.

IMPARTIALITY You need to think about ensuring that the delivery of Kids Voting is, and is seen to be, politically neutral and impartial. It is important that no one

thinks that students are being encouraged to vote a particular way. Some things that you need to consider are: Tell parents what is happening ahead of time and assure them it will be neutral Be sure that if you are collecting material about parties, candidates or referendum options that you cover a range of material for all parties, candidates or referendum options. It is not a good idea to ask students to campaign for a particular party or candidate. Such activity might be seen as part of the actual election campaign and therefore subject to the campaign rules in the Electoral Act 1993.

RESOURCES PROVIDED The Electoral Commission has provided the following resources to you for Kids Voting 2011. First set of resources (delivered in Ballot Box at the beginning of term 4) Ballot Box: PLEASE NOTE that the box which your resources arrived in is your Ballot Box. You will have been sent one box per participating class. You need to keep the box for your Kids Voting Election Day. 2011 Kids Voting Election Guide (this Guide). Your Voice, Your Choice resource (Curriculum learning activities).

• Kids Voting bookmark • Orange Balloon • Get Ready and Vote. The Easy Guide to Voting booklet (E195) • ‘Voting on Election Day is Easy‘ poster (E194) • ‘Referendum on the Voting System’ DVD • ‘Enrolling to vote’ application form • ‘Turned 18? Enrol to Vote’ poster • ‘Everything you need to know about enrolling to vote’ brochure • ‘Enrolling to vote before you’re 18’ brochure • ‘Enrolling to vote as a New Zealand Māori’ brochure Second set of resources (delivered electronically by 9 November) Parliamentary voting paper for your electorate(s) and Referendum voting paper (these will be similar to adult voting documents and will include the actual political parties and candidates for the electorate(s) selected by each class) for you to print and distribute on your Kids Voting election day. A results sheet A teacher evaluation sheet Pre- and Post-election student evaluation forms.

A Kids Voting Sticker to be used to seal the top of the ballot box to secure it. A pre-paid self-addressed envelope to return the student evaluation forms, teacher evaluation forms, and school results. We have also provided a set of materials from the Electoral Enrolment Centre (EEC) and the Electoral Commission, including:

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PART 1: BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR KIDS VOTING ELECTION KEY LEARNING OUTCOME: STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND THE PARLIAMENTARY AND/OR REFERENDUM VOTING PROCESSES AND HAVE EXPERIENCED VOTING FOR THEMSELVES. Part 1 sets out what you need to do to carry out your Kids Voting election and includes: 1. Timing 2. Evaluation 3.

Involving Students

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The key roles

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Setting up your polling place

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Creating an Electoral Roll

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Setting up your ballot box

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Voting information for students

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The Election Day vote

10. Counting the results 11. Announcing the results

1 TIMING Conducting your Kids Voting election with your class will take a minimum of 2 lessons: one to vote and one to count the votes. Voting must be completed by 22 November, the Tuesday before Election Day. It is illegal to distribute replica copies of the ballot papers on the three days before an election Counting should occur in the week after Election Day. You can supplement these core activities with the learning units Your Voice, Your Choice included with this kit.

2 EVALUATION In order for us to evaluate the effectiveness of Kids Voting 2011, we would like each student to complete a pre- and post-election evaluation form. Please keep the completed pre-election evaluation forms in a safe place as we would like the same students to complete the post-election evaluation in order to compare the results. The pre- and post-election forms will be emailed to you and are available at www.kidsvoting.org.nz. These results should also be useful for your own assessment of the impact of the Your Voice, Your Choice curriculum learning units and the Kids Voting election activity.

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INVOLVING STUDENTS

In the lead up to Kids Voting 2011, you may wish to appoint students to various roles to help run and manage the election. Encouraging students to be actively involved in this way will ensure that they are more engaged in the process.

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If you have a school newsletter students might like to cover the event as journalists. If you do take photos, write articles or create a video we would appreciate it if you could send a copy to us and we may publish it on the Kids Voting website (www.kidsvoting.org.nz). Parental approval for this will be needed.

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THE KEY ROLES

The following roles can be taken by students or teachers: Returning Officer (RO)– to oversee the Kids Voting election and ensure the entire election runs smoothly. Registrar of Electors (ROE) – to produce the electoral roll in time for the election (see below on how to create an electoral roll). Electoral communication team – to help advertise the election through distributing leaflets and creating posters saying ‘VOTE HERE TODAY’. Issuing Officers (IO)- to issue voting papers (Parliamentary voting paper and/or Referendum voting paper) and ensure the polling place is run effectively and correct procedure is followed. They will also oversee any provisions for advance voting for those students who know they will not be at school on that day. Counters – to help count the votes in the week after Election Day.

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SETTING UP YOUR POLLING PLACE

A key aim of Kids Voting is to normalise the election process for young people. Replicating the polling place layout and process as closely as possible is important as it assists to normalise the voting process. Students will need to know exactly where and when they need to go to vote on Election Day. You need to conduct the vote sometime before the end of the Tuesday prior to Election Day (Tuesday 22 November). It is illegal to distribute replica copies of the ballot papers on the three days before an election (i.e. Wednesday, Thursday or Friday before Election Day on the Saturday). You might want to make provisions for advance voting for those students who know they will not be at school on that day (details of how advance voting works in the adult election are on www. elections.org.nz ). As this is a secret ballot, schools should ensure that students have access to a private voting area you can create these by putting up partitions in the polling place to create separate booths. Many schools are used as polling places for the real election. It would be useful to find out if your school will be used as a polling place. Students may be able to view some of the preparation or talk to the Electoral Officials running the polling place.

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CREATING AN ELECTORAL ROLL

Your Registrar of Electors will need to produce an electoral roll for your class. Using the template attached (Appendix 2), enter each student’s first and surname and allocate them a number on the left hand side of the roll.

ENROL

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SETTING UP YOUR BALLOT BOX

The box in which we sent your resources is your class ballot box. Once you have emptied all the contents you can secure the box with the ‘Kids Voting’ sticker. This seal should not be broken or tampered with until the election is over and the votes are ready to count.

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GENERAL ELECTION VOTING INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

You will need to explain various aspects of voting to your students prior to Election Day: New Zealand currently uses the MMP electoral system to elect our Parliaments at a General Election. You have two votes. One vote is for your preferred Party and one vote is for the local person you want to represent you in Parliament. (For more information on MMP see the Your Voice, Your Choice (unit 1) resource, the enclosed DVD on the Referendum, or visit www.elections.org.nz or www.referendum.org.nz). The importance of a secret ballot and why their vote is important by outlining the following: ✓ Your vote is your choice: It is illegal for anyone to try to put pressure on you or to influence your vote, especially by threats or bribes. Although you are required by law to enrol to vote when you turn 18, you do not have to vote – it’s your choice. ✓ Your vote counts: It is an opportunity to have your say. Vote! Then your opinion is counted in the result. ✓ Your vote is secret: No-one should know who or what you have voted for. If you are blind or physically unable to make your vote then a trusted person can help you. ✓ Your vote is important: Your thoughts and opinions are unique and what you think is important. Consider the issues that are important to you, and vote for the party and candidate that best represent your ideas. How to complete the voting document, fold the paper and post it in the ballot box.

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REFERENDUM ON THE VOTING SYSTEM VOTING INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

This year there’s a referendum on our voting system at the same time as the election. When you vote you will be given two ballot papers. 1. Your General Election ballot paper – to vote for the party and local person you want to represent you in Parliament; and 2. Your Referendum ballot paper – to have your say on the voting system we use to elect our Parliaments in the future. You will be asked: ✓ Whether you want to keep MMP or change to another voting system; and ✓ Which of four other voting systems you would prefer if New Zealand decided to change from MMP. For more information about the Referendum on the Voting System see the Your Voice, Your Choice (unit 2) resource, the enclosed DVD on the Referendum options or visit www.referendum.org.nz.

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THE ELECTION DAY VOTE

The process in the polling place: 1. Voters wait in the queue to see the Issuing Officer 2. When each voter reaches the Issuing Officer they give their name and class 3. The Issuing Officer will draw a red line through their name on the roll to indicate that they have been given their voting papers (Parliamentary and/or Referendum) 4. The voter takes their voting papers to a vacant polling booth where they can vote in private 5. Once they have marked their voting papers, each voter puts their voting papers in the ballot box Support students to encourage their friends and classmates to turn up to vote and make their vote count! You might also like to encourage your students to ask their parents/caregivers if they can go to the polling place with them when they vote and to watch the election coverage on television from 7.00pm on Election Night, Saturday 26 November.

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COUNTING THE RESULTS

Votes need to be counted in the week after Election Day. Encourage class participation in the count so students can see and understand the process. You will need to appoint electoral officials called ‘Counters’ to help count the votes. The process for the count: 1. Open the sealed ballot box 2. Separate out the Parliamentary voting papers from the Referendum voting papers 3. Count and record the number of Parliamentary and Referendum voting papers you have in the ballot box: this should correspond to the number of voting papers issued on Election Day (you can check this against your electoral roll) 4. Voting papers have to be counted twice: once for electorate votes and once for party votes (instructions below). Complete one count for electorate votes, then repeat the count for party votes.

TO COUNT ELECTORATE VOTES 1. Sort the voting documents into piles for each of the various candidates. 2. If it is not clear who the voter intended to vote for then it is an informal vote and needs to go in a separate pile. If someone has voted for two or more candidates then this is also an informal vote. An informal vote is a vote where the voter’s intention is not clear. 3. The votes for each candidate should be counted and recorded, plus the total number of informal votes. The totals for each candidate and the total number of informal votes should equal the total number of votes cast. (Another electoral official should then recount the same pile to ensure the result is correct.) 4. The candidate with the most votes wins the electorate vote and becomes the electorate MP.

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TO COUNT PARTY VOTES 1. Put all voting papers back into one pile, including the ones with an informal electorate vote. 2. Sort the voting documents into piles for each of the various parties. 3. If it is not clear which party the voter intended to vote for then it is an informal vote and needs to go in a separate pile. If someone has voted for two or more parties then this is also an informal vote. 4. The votes for each party should be counted and recorded, plus the total number of informal votes. The totals should equal the total votes cast (another electoral officer should then recount the same pile to ensure the result is correct). 5. Use the MMP calculator at www.elections.org.nz to calculate the make up of Parliament based on the votes from your class or school.

TO COUNT REFERENDUM RESULTS In the referendum, voters are asked two questions (Part A and Part B). Each question must be counted separately. 1. Open the sealed ballot box (you may have already opened the ballot box if your class completed the Parliamentary election) 2. Separate out the Parliamentary voting papers from the Referendum voting papers (if required) 3. Put all referendum voting papers into one pile 4. Count and record the number of referendum voting papers you have in the ballot box: this should correspond to the number of voting papers issued on Election Day (you can check this against your electoral roll) 5. Referendum voting papers have to be counted twice: once for Part A of the voting paper and once for Part B of the voting papers. TO COUNT PART A OF THE REFERENDUM 1. Divide the voting papers evenly among the counters 2. Counters should then sort the voting papers into one of the following three piles: a. Keep MMP b. Change MMP c. Informal Vote (if the voter’s intention is not clear). 3. The votes for each option (keep MMP or Change MMP) should be counted and recorded, plus the number of informal votes. The totals for each option and the total number of informal votes should equal the total number of votes cast. Another electoral official should then recount the same pile to ensure the result is correct.

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TO COUNT PART B OF THE REFERENDUM 1. Divide the voting papers evenly among the counters 2. Counters should then sort the voting papers into one of the following five piles: a. First Past the Post (FPP) b. Preferential Voting (PV) c. Single Transferrable Vote (STV) d. Supplementary Member (SM) e. Informal Vote (if the voter’s intention is not clear). 3. The votes for each option (FPP, PV, STV or SM) should be counted and recorded, plus the number of informal votes. The totals for each option and the total number of informal votes should equal the total number of votes cast. Another electoral official should then recount the same pile to ensure the result is correct.

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ANNOUNCING THE RESULTS Announce the Kids Voting results in class and compare it to the actual election result. You can view the preliminary results of the General Election and Referendum at www.electionresults.govt.nz. progressively from 7pm on Election Night, Saturday 26 November 2011. Get your class to complete the post-election evaluation form (downloadable from www.kidsvoting. org.nz). Discuss what worked and what didn’t and how we can improve upon it in time for the next Kids Voting. Complete the Kids Voting result sheet (we require only one per school) and teacher evaluation forms. These forms will be sent to you electronically with your voting papers after Nomination Day, 1 November 2011. Put the pre and post student evaluation forms, the school result sheet and teacher evaluation form in the self-addressed pre-paid envelope and post. You don’t need to send us your voting documents. If you have any photographs or publicity from your election, please email it to [email protected] or post it to us in your prepaid envelope with your other materials so we can promote it through our website. You’ll need parental consent for this. We will send you a National Summary of results as soon as we can.

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APPENDIX 1 – INFORMATION ABOUT THE DIFFERENT VOTING SYSTEMS MMP – MIXED MEMBER PROPORTIONAL This is the system we currently use to elect our Parliament. There are 120 Members of Parliament (MPs). There are 70 electorates, including the Māori electorates. Each elects one MP, called an Electorate MP. The other 50 MPs are elected from political party lists and are called List MPs. Each voter gets two votes. The first vote is for the political party the voter chooses. This is called the party vote and largely decides the total number of seats each political party gets in Parliament. The second vote is to choose the MP the voter wants to represent the electorate they live in. This is called the electorate vote. The candidate who gets the most votes wins. They do not have to get more than half the votes. Under current MMP rules, a political party that wins at least one electorate seat OR 5% of the party vote gets a share of the seats in Parliament that is about the same as its share of the party vote. For example, if a party gets 30% of the party vote it will get roughly 36 MPs in Parliament (being 30% of 120 seats). So if that party wins 20 electorate seats it will have 16 List MPs in addition to its 20 Electorate MPs. Coalitions or agreements between political parties are usually needed before Governments can be formed.

FPP - FIRST PAST THE POST There are 120 Members of Parliament. Each of the 120 electorates, including the Māori electorates, elects one MP. Each voter has one vote to choose the MP they want to represent the electorate they live in. The candidate who gets the most votes wins. They do not have to get more than half the votes. Large parties – and in particular the winning party – usually win a share of the seats in Parliament larger than their share of all the votes across the country. Smaller parties usually receive a smaller share of seats than their share of all the votes. A government can usually be formed without the need for coalitions or agreements between parties.

PV - PREFERENTIAL VOTING There are 120 Members of Parliament. Each of the 120 electorates, including the Māori electorates, elects one MP. Voters rank the candidates – 1, 2, 3, etc – in the order they prefer them. A candidate who gets more than half of all the first preference votes (that is votes marked “1”) wins. If no candidate gets more than half the first preference votes, the candidate with the fewest number “1” votes is eliminated and their votes go to the candidates each voter ranked next. This process is repeated until one candidate has more than half the votes. Large parties – and in particular the winning party – usually win a share of the seats in Parliament larger than their nationwide share of the first preference votes. It is hard for smaller parties to win seats in Parliament, but votes for smaller party candidates may influence who wins the seat because of second, third, etc preferences. A government can usually be formed without the need for coalitions or agreements between parties.

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STV - SINGLE TRANSFERABLE VOTE There are 120 Members of Parliament. Each electorate has more than one MP. This includes the Māori electorates. It is likely the 120 MPs would be divided between 24 and 30 electorates, each with 3 to 7 MPs. Each voter has a single vote that is transferable. Voters either rank the individual candidates – 1, 2, 3, etc – in the order they prefer from all the candidates, OR they may vote for the order of preference published in advance by the political party of their choice. MPs are elected by receiving a minimum number of votes. This is known as the quota and is based on the number of votes in each electorate and the number of MPs to be elected. Candidates who reach the quota from first preference votes are elected. If there are still electorate seats to fill, a two-step process follows. First, votes the elected candidates received beyond the quota are transferred to the candidates ranked next on those votes. Candidates who then reach the quota are elected. Second, if there are still electorate seats to fill, the lowest polling candidate is eliminated and their votes are transferred to the candidates ranked next on those votes. This two-step process is repeated until all the seats are filled. The number of MPs elected from each political party roughly mirrors the party’s share of all the first preference votes across the country. Coalitions or agreements between political parties are usually needed before governments can be formed.

SM - SUPPLEMENTARY MEMBER There are 120 Members of Parliament. There are 90 electorates, including the Māori electorates. Each elects one MP, called an Electorate MP. The other 30 seats are called supplementary seats. MPs are elected to these seats from political party lists and are likely to be called List MPs. Each voter gets two votes. The first vote is to choose the MP the voter wants to represent the electorate they live in. This is called the electorate vote. The candidate who gets the most votes wins. They do not have to get more than half the votes. The second vote is for the political party the voter chooses. This is called the party vote. The share of the 30 supplementary seats each party gets reflects its share of the party vote. For example, if a party gets 30% of the party vote, it will get about 9 List MPs in Parliament (being 30% of the 30 supplementary seats) no matter how many electorate seats it wins. This makes SM different from MMP where a party’s share of all 120 seats mirrors its share of the party vote. Under SM, one or other of the major parties would usually have enough seats to govern alone, but coalitions or agreements between parties may sometimes be needed.

Information in other languages: This information is also available in Māori and 18 other languages from www.referendum.org.nz/resources.

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APPENDIX 2 - ELECTORAL ROLL TEMPLATE KIDS VOTING 2011: ELECTORAL ROLL School: Class: Reg. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

First Name

Surname