SUMMARY
We're under a month now until the 2024 election, which features Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris running against Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump.
PBS News has launched a 30-day countdown to the election with a new fun fact for each day. Hear from Lisa Desjardins, Deema Zein and other News Hour journalists on how our elections work and what to expect on the first Tuesday in November.
Watch the clip above and then the clips below this line. Note that more videos will be added as we get closer to elections day — you can also visit YouTube to find any entries not on this post.
29 days away
28 days away
You can visit YouTube to find any entries not on this post.
25 days away
21 days away
17 days away
15 days away
You can visit YouTube to find any entries not on this post.
9 days away
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1 day away
You can visit YouTube to find any entries not on this post.
News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Who is running for president in the 2024 election?
- What are some of the other elections that people in your community will be voting on in 2024?
- Why did President Joe Biden win in Georgia in 2020 despite winning fewer counties (for reference, he won 30 out of 159 counties)?
- How many state legislatures do Republicans control?
- Where are outside groups banned from donating money to help run elections?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What questions do you have about the ways national elections work in the US? What feature of national elections is most surprising to you, and why?
Media literacy: Why do you think these segments were produced? What audience are they trying to appeal to?
Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?
FOR MORE
What students can do:
**Research your own fun fact about elections! Look into how your local elections work, and how state and national elections work. Then bring one fun fact to the class to discuss. You can even record your own short videos that share your fun fact!
**On Election night, PBS News, along with hundreds of other news outlets turn to the Associated Press to call the winners for local and national races. But, how does the AP determine when it's time to call a winner? Watch the TikTok video below to learn more. Talk with a friend or family member if you think the AP's way to call the winners makes sense or seems like a good system to you?
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