OUR WORK

Vote For Kids

Children represent 25% of Alaska’s population, but when it comes to policy changes that impact them, they are voiceless. Children and youth cannot vote – but you can. From Juneau to DC, elected officials have the power to make decisions that affect our children, youth, and families. And you have the power to put them there.

Be a voice for kids during election season, and let’s make sure they’re the priority.

SELECT AN AREA:

>Resources for Candidates
>Get Involved as an Individual
>Get Involved as an Organization
>Engaging Kids in Voting

About Vote For Kids

Created by Alaska Children’s Trust, Vote For Kids is a nonpartisan campaign aimed at elevating issues that impact children, youth, and families and making them core to candidate’s platforms. Over the past decade, Alaska has invested less and less in ensuring Alaska’s children and youth thrive.

Currently, Alaska ranks 38th in the nation for child well-being. One key way to reverse these trends is to ensure individuals seeking elected office hear loud and clear from Alaskans that children, youth, and families should be their top priority.

When you vote, we encourage you to think about Alaska’s kids – to strongly consider casting your vote for those that will use their power and leadership to make the world, our state, and our communities a better place to be a kid and to raise a family. Then, take it a step further- get involved with us by becoming an ACT Advocate- someone we know to call on when we’re looking for community voices to advocate for important policy changes. It’s simple - just subscribe to our advocacy list here.

 

THINGS YOU CAN DO

Get Involved

As candidates run for office, we want them to focus on the issues that matter most to children and families in Alaska. These resources are to empower you, as an individual or as an organization, to raise these important topics and get to know where candidates stand during – and after – election season.

Get Involved as an Individual

How to Vote

Step 1) Make a plan (pick what day you will mail in your ballot, find your polling location in advance, or make sure to fill out an absentee ballot request)

Step 2) Learn about the new voting system (*only for state elections)

Step 3) Vote!

Help Us Spread the Word

Add the Vote For Kids Zoom/ Teams background to your virtual meetings to let your friends, family, or colleagues know that you’re keeping children and families top-of-mind this election season. Download the Vote for Kids background here and upload it to your Zoom or Teams account today!

Share Our Posts

During election season, Alaska Children’s Trust shares important dates, deadlines, and information on our various social media sites. Help us get the word out by following us on Facebook, Instagram, or X and sharing our posts so that everyone knows to Vote For Kids! Click on an icon below to go to our social sites. We also have a special Vote for Kids Facebook that is solely dedicated for sharing Vote for Kids information. Follow that page by clicking this link and click “like”.

Candidate Questions

Not sure what to ask a candidate who comes to your door, calls you, or you meet at a community event? These handy questions in the topics of health, economic well-being, education, and family and community can help you be prepared and also give you the data you need to give a candidate context on how Alaskan children and families are doing.

Get Involved as an Organization

Elections provide nonprofits with opportunities to connect with community members, interact with officials, and promote children’s issues. As 501(c)(3), organizations have to be aware of the rules pertaining to them, but it doesn’t mean you have to sit elections out!

  • Host a rally for children, youth, and families

  • Write an Op-Ed about issues affecting children and youth

  • Engage in candidate outreach (meet and greets, letters, on social media)

  • Host a candidate forum

Do

  • Invite ALL candidates to participate in events, forums, or questionnaires from your organization or create nonpartisan guidelines for candidates to adhere to to attend your forum

  • Use a nonpartisan moderator at any candidate forum or event you host

  • Schedule one-on-one meetings with candidates to invite them to your organization and see the work you do

  • Encourage your members and followers to vote and promote key dates and deadlines

Don’t

  • Appear to endorse a candidate

  • Allow staff and board members to distribute a particular candidate’s literature or campaign materials

  • Make specialized invitations to some candidates and not all candidates

  • Promote any political party or the others

Use the Vote For Kids Logos

Our Vote For Kids logo is open for use on items like Children’s Day Rallies, candidate forums, and nonpartisan educational handouts. For questions about branding or logo use or additional Vote For Kids logos, please contact ACT Director of Communications Kaila Pfister here. Right click to download and save a .png logo to your desktop.

THINGS YOU CAN DO

Engaging Kids in the Voting Process

As parents, we are responsible for teaching our kids values and principles that shape them as members of their community. They need to know how to stand up for the things they care about and exercise the rights so many have fought hard for, including voting. Elections and voting define our democracy, and we need to empower children from a young age to use their voice.

ACT Family Activities Related to Voting

Download the Vote for Kids coloring sheet and find out your child’s hopes and dreams!

Practice ranked choice voting - how does your child rank summer activities? Download it here

Even More Kid- Friendly Voting Activities

  • Simulate the concept of voting by applying it at home! Have a family vote about what to make for dinner, or what game to play. As they get older, nominate the meal or game before the vote, and tell them to make a speech on why others should vote the same way!

  • Talk about your beliefs and values, and how they impact your kids in ways they can understand.

  • Teach them how to disagree respectfully and practice listening.

  • Give them tangible solutions to big problems they are hearing about in the media throughout an election. For example, teach them about how recycling is a small thing they can do to help the environment.

  • Have them help you fill out your ballot at home or take your child with you if you are voting in person. If you show your kids voting is important to you, they will be more likely to do so when they grow up.

Start building lifelong voting habits in children and help shape the next generation of voters. There are some great resources out there to help you talk to kids about voting and elections:

THINGS YOU CAN DO

Resources for Candidates

One of the most important things we do as a society is support, protect, and promote the well-being of our children. The success or failure of Alaska’s kids is greatly influenced by decisions made by elected officials.  

As a candidate running to represent all Alaskans, it is our hope you will ensure issues impacting children, youth, and families are at the forefront of discussions heading into Election Day. Alaskans want to know how your vision for our state includes the future success of our most valuable resource – our children.

How Are Alaska’s Children Doing?

So, how are Alaska’s children doing? For nearly a decade, Alaska has ranked in the bottom third of all states for overall child well-being, most recently placing 38th in the nation in 2023.

One key to reversing this trend is to ensure you have the information you need to develop informed policy approaches on behalf of Alaska’s children, youth, and families. To this end, we invite you to review the below resources and connect with us to learn more:

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