Kids Voting was going well in Lawrence this morning – so well, it was even helping to bring some adults to the polls.

“Interestingly enough, we had a lot of calls beyond the typical Kids Voting questions,” said Ruthi Rapp, who is co-chairing the program in Douglas County.

Rapp said many adults were using the Kids Voting phone number, 856-7722, as a general voting information number.

“We had people calling and saying, ‘Can you tell me where I need to go vote?,'” Rapp said. “I felt like that’s great, that we were fulfilling a community service.”

In the Kids Voting program, children are encouraged to come to the polls today with their parents. They’re given an age-appropriate ballot.

The Kids Voting ballots will be collected after the regular polls close at 7 tonight and brought to Lawrence High School’s library, where they will be tabulated and sent on to the state Kids Voting headquarters in Topeka.

Rapp said she didn’t know how many children came out to vote before school this morning. However, several polling places were running low on Kids Voting ballots after this morning before-school rush.

Extra ballots to polling places at Kennedy and Langston Hughes elementary schools and also the Wakarusa North Fire Station, Rapp said.

Dolph Simons III, who is co-chair of the county program, said the poll workers throughout the county have been very helpful in welcoming the Kids Voting volunteers.

The program is county wide and includes Lawrence, Eudora, Baldwin, Marion Township, Willow Springs Township, Wakarusa Township, he said.

“It’s going well,” Simons said.

The program is being co-sponsored by the county’s school districts, the Roger Hill Volunteer Center and the Journal-World, said Simons, who is president of the World Company’s newspaper division.

Margaret Perkins-McGuinness, manager of the Roger Hill Volunteer Center, said about 400 volunteers are helping with the project today and tonight.

“It’s a big project and it requires a lot of community support and the community has always come through with shining colors,” Perkins-McGuinness said.

At Mustard Seed Christian Fellowship, there were a number of children participating.

¢ Alexa Harmon-Thomas, 10, a Quail Run fifth-grader, said “I wanted to be a part of the election.”

She voted for Jim Barnett for governor, Jim Ryun for Congress and Phill Kline for attorney general.

¢ Erin Scherl, 7, a Raintree Montessori School second-grader, said “I did it last year and I liked it.”

Erin said she voted for Kathleen Sebelius for governor.

¢ Leah Coons, 10, a fifth-grader, said “We studied it in class. I thought it would be cool because it’s just like the adults.”

Leah said she voted for Sebelius and Ryun.

¢ Piper Rogers, 6, a Quail Run Elementary School first-grader, said “I voted because my brother wanted to.”

Piper said she voted for Sebelius.

¢ Evan Frook, 8, a Quail Run third-grader, said “I voted because I got a voter’s registration card. If you don’t vote then you shouldn’t complain.”

Evan said he voted for Sebelius, and for Nancy Boyda for Congress.