Editor’s Note: Our guest author, 2024 ES&S Summer Intern Jordan Petersen, is a journalism and marketing double major at Iowa State University.
Another year, another Election Systems & Software Read Across America Day (RAAD) giveaway! Here at ES&S, we believe in inspiring future voters to learn more about the processes of elections and their fundamental right to vote. Every March, we select a book about elections and democracy to give away to an election official or election office for donation to a worthy school, library or organization in their community. This initiative is our way of sparking a passion for democracy in young readers across America and even inspiring others to do giveaways of their own!
Our annual RAAD giveaway is the perfect opportunity to get kids excited about reading, especially books about elections and democracy. Although they cannot vote yet, we choose books that will help children better understand democracy and the importance of voting. For our 2024 giveaway, we selected Vote for Our Future! by Margaret McNamara.
In 2024, we gave away books to 13 winners in 9 different states! Over the past four years, we’ve given away over 40 books to election officials in over 35 different counties and 19 different states! It’s inspiring to see how our initiative has motivated others to educate children about democracy and voting through similar giveaways.
Fun Fact: Lauri Braid, a Michigan regional sales manager, had a customer purchase and donate our 2021 RAAD giveaway book to every library in their county!
We’ve witnessed the impact of our giveaway firsthand through in-person interactions with winners and their communities.
For example, a group of ES&S employees hand-delivered a book to giveaway winner and County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell and the Marion County Election Board.
“It was so nice to have a team of ES&S people there to present the book! I think it made it extra special for the clerk,” said Mac O’Connor, Government Regulatory Specialist at ES&S.
In another instance, our team hand-delivered a book to giveaway winner Tasha Heese Sill in Lander County, NV.
“The customer was so excited to be a recipient and thought that the book was adorable and a wonderful way to share with children about elections,” said Chelsea Machado, Regional Sales Manager at ES&S.
The enthusiasm and involvement we see from communities nationwide make March a special time for us every year. If you couldn’t participate in this year’s recognition of RAAD, you can continue celebrating throughout the year. Your efforts in raising awareness about the importance of reading and educating children about democracy and elections can make a significant impact!