Election 2020 and General Election Resources

Post Election Resources

2020 Election Specific Resources

  • C-SPAN Classroom Campaign 2020 - This website provides C-SPAN Classroom video resources explaining the various aspects of the election process for candidates vying to become the next President of the United States. Separated into various sections, each topic is supplemented with related video clips, bell ringers, lessons, discussion questions, handouts, and culminating activities to reinforce students' learning. These resources will be updated with new resources as the election process unfolds.
  • iCivics Election Headquarters - The time is now for students to learn about the election process, understand the power of their vote, and become active participants in our constitutional democracy. iCivics encourage teachers, administrators, and families to help facilitate learning with these curated, non-partisan election teaching resources.
  • IllinoisCivics.org 2020 Election Toolkit - This year brings an opportunity to use the elections to engage students in the proven practices of civic education outlined in 6-12th grade civics course mandates. IllinoisCivics.org has created a tool kit to provide resources and lesson plans to support this important work.
  • PBS Learning Media: Election Collection - You will find seven different sections that will help you and students keep up with election news, study the history and process of presidential elections, explore voting rights, and engage in classroom debates with videos, activities, and lesson plans.
  • KQED Youth Media Challenge: Let's Talk About Election 2020 - Middle and high school educators across the U.S. are empowering students to share their take on issues that matter to them. Learn how your students can create and publish audio or video commentaries for a national audience.
  • Election 2020: The Road to the White House (The Reagan Foundation) - This website has a unit for teaching the 2020 Election for both elementary/K-5 and secondary/6-12 classrooms.
  • Newsela 2020 Election Resources - It’s never too early for civic engagement. Newsela is giving students a chance to have their vote counted on Election Day and providing free access to safe, vetted content to help teachers take on the election in their classroom.
  • 2020 Presidential Election Interactive Map (270 To Win) - It will take 270 electoral votes to win the 2020 presidential election. Click states on this interactive map to create your own 2020 election forecast. Create a specific match-up by clicking the party and/or names near the electoral vote counter. Use the buttons below the map to share your forecast or embed it into a web page.
  • Mikva Challenge - At Mikva Challenge, they know young people have the power to play a critical role in educating and activating each other and their communities to participate and make their voices heard in the 2020 election. Regardless of whether they can vote themselves, young people can speak out on issues that matter to them, advocate for candidates they support, educate their communities about candidates and processes, and mobilize them to vote. Check out their resources for both students and educators.
  • The CIRCLE Institute at Tufts University has identified where youth voters will have the biggest impact in 2020 and Maine's election for Senate and 2nd House seat both rank #2. Check out their website to learn more.
  • News Literacy Project: Democracy Depends on Us/Election 2020 Resources - 

    As the November election approaches, misinformation threatens the democratic process in unprecedented ways, especially among historically marginalized communities that are often the primary targets of voter suppression efforts. Anxiety over an ongoing public health crisis is only accelerating the spread of viral rumors, hoaxes, and conspiracy theories. To combat election misinformation, NLP is launching Democracy depends on us, a nonpartisan nationwide campaign to provide voters with the tools to inoculate themselves against election misinformation. This critical work will help all Americans protect their right to make their vote count.

  • A new resource from Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy titled, “Election 2020: Engaging Students in Civic Discourse,” was recently published. The document offers guidance for school teachers and administrators on how to manage political discussion and promote civil dialogue.

  • Teaching About the 2020 Presidential Election - This article from Dr. Wayne Journell appears in the October 2020 edition of Social Education from the National Council for the Social Studies.

General Election Related Resources

  • Teaching About Elections (ADL) - Elections provide great opportunities to teach students about civics, how government works, the electoral process, current events and issues, historical context and campaign politics. Young people want to be part of the conversation and are eager for information and dialogue. Check out their website for educational resources, lesson plans, family resources and other election-related pedagogical content to assist you in teaching about elections. 
  • C-SPAN American Presidents Resources. The site includes lesson plans, activities and video clips based on C-SPAN’s television series, American Presidents: Life Portraits.
  • C-SPAN Classroom. Lesson idea for the Electoral College and the Constitution, and other resources.
  • The Electoral Challenge - To become president, a candidate must win a majority of votes in the Electoral College. Play this game and find out if you have what it takes to meet the Electoral Challenge.
  • Facing History has put together a collection of resources for teaching during this election season. These resources are designed to help students think critically about the role of elections, voting, and civic participation in creating and sustaining a just and healthy democracy.
  • iCivics and iCivics Election Resources. Founded by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, iCivics provides students with several interactive games on a variety of topics. Students can run a presidential campaign and collect electoral votes in “Win the White House.” Free resources for teachers are also available.
  • Learn About Elections & Voting. Federal links to election and general citizenship-related resources.
  • Library of Congress. The Library of Congress blog Path to the Presidency includes suggestions for ways to use primary sources to help students learn about the election process and past elections.
  • The Living Room Candidate. The Museum of the Moving Image houses historic campaign ads, lessons plans and an “Ad Maker” tool for students.
  • National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Election Resources. NCSS has compiled a list of election resources that include articles from their publications, as well as links to free websites. Some items are accessible only to NCSS members.
  • PBS Election Resources. The PBS LearningMedia site offers a collection of resources, sortable by grade level, subject and type.
  • Political Cartoon Index. Daryl Cagle’s site offers hundreds of cartoons, updated daily, and organized by issue and cartoonist.
  • Political Fact Check. The nonpartisan Annenberg Public Policy Center monitors the factual accuracy of candidates’ assertions in ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.
  • Political Party Quiz. Pew Research Center has a 12-question political party survey titled “Where Do You Fit?”
  • Project Vote Smart. A Montana-based nonpartisan group has launched a website that provides users with tools to compare their own views on issues to those of presidential and Maine congressional candidates. “Vote Easy” uses information submitted by the candidates in response to questionnaires, and the project conducts research using candidates' voting records, backgrounds, issue positions, campaign contributions, interest group ratings and public statements.
  • U.S. Presidential Election Results Atlas. This interactive site shows election results by year and state (including county by county results) and includes graphs on voter turnout.
  • Vote 411 - The League of Women Voters website has voter registration information, candidate guides, and actual ballets from every election in the country.
  • Youth Work Makes the Booth Work - This Maine based site connects you with ways to engage in upcoming elections, and get involved with opportunities for civic engagement in your school, town, county, state and nation.