The top election year issue among kids is terrorism and war, according to the latest poll conducted by Nickelodeon as part of its Kids Pick the President program.
Two-thirds of the kids polled said they are interested in this year’s elections. In addition to terrorism, their key issues are equal rights and crime and violence, with concern over crime and violence growing in importance since the last poll in June.
Kids said it’s very important for a good president to have honesty, being trustworthy and respectful. They also said being tough, religious and rich were also key qualities.
The top three sources kids said they are getting information about the 2016 presidential election from are TV (73%), their mom (61%), and their dad (51%).
Nick will hold its kids vote on who should be the next president from Oct. 28 through Nov. 5. The result will be announced live on Nickelodeon on Nov. 5. Since 1988, the kids have picked the winner in six of the last seven elections, missing in 2004 when they opted for John Kerry over George Bush.
"Kids and their families today are more closely aligned than ever before, with no generation gap, which makes this research a potential crystal ball into the POV of the entire household's voting and non-voting members," said Marva Smalls, executive VP, public affairs, Viacom Kids and Family Group. "With almost 7 out of every 10 kids in the country citing high interest in this year's election, we want our Kids Pick the President campaign to keep them informed, so we can help sustain their interest in the political system as they come of age and take their place as the country's next electorate."
