* This guide was prepared by Nancy Matthews, former Social Studies Supervisor for the State of Utah and the staff of the National Student/Parent Mock Election. LESSON 1: UNDERSTANDING THE VOTER REGISTRATION PROCESS Lesson Objective: The Ford-Carter Commission on election reform described the results of the Presidential Election of 2000 as “a political ordeal unlike any in living memory.” To better understand elections, students will examine the voter registration process. In this lesson, students will gain a better understanding of the importance of voting in a democratic society. They will also review the process of Motor Voter registration along with other means of voter registration. The lesson will provide the opportunity to review the electoral process and to review past U.S. elections. Teaching Procedures: Activity 1: View videos on voting and the importance of voting in a democratic society.   Collect current articles calling for election reform in America since the election of 2000. (One suggested Web site to visit is www.electionline.com.)   Compare the process of voting seen in the videos to current newspaper articles and news magazines.   Ask students to identify areas where they believe improvements could be made in the election process.   Save this initial list to compare with the list students make at the end of the unit. Activity 2: Review with students the process of Motor Voter registration. (A Web site providing information about the process is www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/nvra/activ_nvra.htm#1993.) Did students register to vote when they applied for their driver’s license?   Identify areas for potential errors when registering voters through the Motor Voter Act.   How could the Motor Voter Act be improved? Make a list of all the ways a person can register to vote. (A Web site about voting and elections is www.firstgov.gov/Citizen/Topics/Voting/shtml.) Ask students to make posters about how a person can get registered to vote. With permission, display the posters around the community and school. Activity 3: Have 18-year-old students write a paper about registering to vote. Ask them to write whether the experience was positive and their reasoning. Have students suggest ways to make voter registration easier and more accurate. Invite students to share their reports with students who are not yet registered. For students who are not 18 years old, ask them to write a paper on the ideal voter registration process. Have students reflect why they believe their process should be a followed model. Activity 4: Review the “Guide to the Electoral Process” on the National Student/Parent Mock Election Web site (www.nationalmockelection.com). Select those areas in the guide that your students may need to revisit before they consider reforming the process.