On July 12, just weeks before the upcoming Democratic National Convention, Bernie Sanders endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, effectively dropping out of the presidential race. This leaves Clinton as the Democratic nominee and Donald Trump as the Republican nominee. With the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention starting July 18 and July 25, respectively, this is a good time to review the U.S. election process with your adult students.
It is important that adults in the U.S. are familiar with the election process. The issues that affect low literate adults are often overlooked. Historically, people who couldn’t read or write were denied the right to vote. That rule is no longer in place, but the effects of this can still be seen today. Adults with more education are more likely to vote, and those who are financially secure are three times more likely to vote than those who aren’t. This leaves adults with low literacy at a political disadvantage.
News for You, New Readers Press’ weekly newspaper, recently published an easy-to-read voting guide written at a lower reading level for adults who struggle to read. The guide explains who can vote, the election process, how to register to vote, how to cast a ballot, and more. This is a great way to review the political process with your adult education students before the upcoming conventions and presidential debates.
Download the free Voting Guide
Giving adults with low literacy the tools and knowledge to confidently participate in the U.S. political process is an important step to advocating on behalf of adult learners.
Are you sharing this guide with your adult education students? What other resources are you using to teach students about the election process?
