BY ANNE MICHAUD
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Elliot Crawford (L) and Donald Brunner participate in KidsVoting Southwest Ohio.
(Glenn Hartong photo)
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Britney Coleman, 10, untied the knot in her plastic Lee Fisher bag and pulled out a blue campaign button in support of Judge Jones. Britney will be "voting" for Christine Jones for Hamilton County Domestic Relations Court this Nov. 3, alongside her parents, in a project called Kids Voting. It is designed to raise civic awareness in schoolchildren.
About 1,000 schoolchildren from Hamilton and Clermont counties were bused to a rally Tuesday at Old Coney Island to meet local candidates. They filed through a line collecting campaign literature, then sat in an auditorium while candidates were introduced on stage. Several kids had trouble naming even one local candidate.
But they all had an opinion on President Clinton's troubles. "He's going to be impeached. He lied to everybody," said Liz Wagner, 13, of St. William School in Price Hill.
She said she wished the president were up for election this year so she could vote against him. She did not have a preferred president in mind.
Ronnell Jones also knows the president lied, but he doesn't see how that affects his job performance.
"It doesn't really bother me," said Ronnell, 13, of Clifton. "As long as he helps with the community and city and all, it doesn't really bother me."
He said he would vote for Mr. Clinton if an election were held this year.
Derryck Henson, 9, of Roselawn said he was unhappy with the president, but he should not lose his job.
Carisa Cobb, 17, a Woodward High School student, agreed: "I think they should just leave him alone, but I don't think they will. He should stay there until his term is up and do his job."
Ms. Cobb plans to register to vote when she turns 18.
Two kids could name a local candidate, Cincinnati Mayor Roxanne Qualls, who is running for Congress.
"I think she can do the city good," said Grant Miller, 13, of Roselawn.
He added that Kids Voting taught him the value of voting. "We need it so we can have the right leaders," he said.
Liz Wagner is another fan of Ms. Qualls: "I like her and her new hairstyle." She said it makes the mayor look younger.
Kids Voting began in 1988 in Phoenix, Ariz., and has spread to 41 states.
Organizers of the national Kids Voting project say they have no statistics showing whether their graduates are more likely to become regular voters.
In the 1992 presidential election, only 15 percent of eligible voters between 18 and 24 went to the polls.
Locally, the program is fairly new, said Marcia Luken, executive director. Hamilton County has participated for two years, she said, and 48,000 students voted last year, using special ballots that are counted and reported separately.
How to help
Kids Voting needs volunteers. There are several ways to participate: Process ballots at a polling place on Nov. 3. Several shifts are available 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Volunteer prior to Election Day.
Commit your business to recruit volunteers or staff a polling place for a day.
Offer in-kind services such as printing, copying or clerical help. Send money. For more information, call Marcia Luken, executive director of Kids Voting, 961-VOTE (8683).
