It's Election Day in Raleigh and other communities across the Triangle (you read that right. Seats on local councils and board of commissioners are up for election today. Read more about it and find your precinct here).Kids Voting USA, the national group that works to get kids involved in elections, has some activities for children to help them understand the whole process. They're geared to a classroom, but it would be an easy activity to do if you have several children or several of your child's friends over. Thought I'd share one of them: Set it all up: Ask the kids if they've ever had to make a decision about something that was hard to agree on? Maybe they were deciding what to watch on TV or where to eat. How did you finally make the decision? Help them choose an issue to vote on (such as snacks, activities, or recess time) that can be implemented immediately. State the issue as a question to be answered “Yes” or “No.” Give your students strips of paper. (You may ask them to write their names on them or you can explain the concept of a secret ballot where voting is confidential.) Explain that one link on a voting chain represents one vote. Hang up a sign that says "yes" and another that says "no." Let each student link his/her “vote” under the yes sign or no sign. Then discuss .... count how many links there are ... can they see their own voting link ... what the chain would look like if they hadn't voted ... was it a fair decision?Kids Voting has chapters in Durham and Wake counties and they often set up voting booths in some precincts for kids. Click here to find out about programs this year.