By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – The University at Buffalo is becoming a partner in the Kids Voting program at area schools. UB officials say Kids Voting will fit with a number of other initiatives the university runs to help area teachers.
Kids Voting has been around since 1996. It's designed to introduce students to the idea of voting with the hope that they'll vote for real when they reach the legal age of 18.
Right now, 80,000 students in Erie and Niagara Counties participate. The goal is to increase that number to 100,000. Board of Regents Chancellor Robert Bennett said Kids Voting engages students in civic life.
UB President John Simpson says the university will strengthen the program's content and instructional materials from faculty members in law, political science, history and education.
Kids Voting Coordinator Katie Biggie says unlike previous years, students will be voting this year at their schools rather than polling places.
Students this year will cast ballots for governor, attorney general and state comptroller, in addition to other local and regional races. There is a space at the bottom of each ballot where schools can add their own issues for students to vote on.
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