Voting Rights, Elections and Democracy Through YA Fiction

The elections are right around the corner! If you're eligible this year, make sure you are registered to vote and get to your nearest polling place on or before November 5th, 2024. You can check your registration status and polling location here. Whether you're eligible to vote this year or not, there's a lot to be learned about elections and democracy through fiction books while still enjoying the escapism of a good romance or a thought-provoking coming-of-age story.

In The Voting Booth18-year-old Marva and Duke go to the polls to vote for their first eligible election. Marva is politically active, registering people to vote and volunteering with causes she supports. Duke would rather get this over with and go to play a show with his band. When Duke is denied his right to vote and turned away, Marva takes it upon herself to make sure his vote is counted, taking the two on an adventure across the city causing the connection between them to grow.

A story of star-crossed love, The State of Us follows the sons of two political rivals running against each other for President of the United States. Dean is the son of the Republican candidate and Dre is the son of the Democratic candidate. They begin to run into each other at various events along the campaign trail and slowly start to form a friendship that begins to develop into something more.

In Running, Mariana Ruiz's father, a state senator, is running for President, turning her life upside down in the process. The family is scrutinized from all angles, tabloids make up scandals, and even more difficult, Mariana begins to realize she doesn't agree with her father's political positions. As Mariana begins to come into her own political awakening, she learns how to speak up for what she believes, even if it means disagreeing with her father publicly.

For another election-based romance, check out You Say It First. Living in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Meg is passionate about politics and spends her time giving speeches and volunteering for a non-profit that helps walk people through voter registration over the phone. One of her calls leads her to talk with Colby in Alma, Ohio. Colby is stuck in a job he doesn't like and recently suffered a family tragedy, which he confesses abruptly over the phone as he and Meg argue about the importance of voting. Meg can't get the call out of her head, and eventually calls back to apologize, admitting a secret of her own to him, causing the two to start a long-distance friendship and eventual romance.