Talking about the election

6 June 2024

How can we talk to kids about the general election and help them see how God is part of it?

On 4 July, the UK will be holding a general election.

Whether you’ve got a new voter in your house or not, your kids will be hearing about the elections. Many schools hold mock elections, and they will be seeing items on social media and hearing people around them talk about their choices – and probably the good, the bad and the ugly side of politics too.

God cares about our world and the people in it, and elections are a way in which we can influence that. So, although it isn’t a perfect system, most Christians would agree that taking part in elections is important. So how can we help our kids understand what God thinks about elections and equip them to make good decisions – whether that’s this time around or in the future?

Here are just a few ideas that might be helpful in your home.

Create windows into and frame how you vote

When we help our kids understand how and why we make the decisions we do, we help them understand how and why to do it themselves. By creating windows and framing we can give them insights into that. Here are some ideas you could use:

Share stories of how you have voted in the past. Include stories of if you’ve not been sure or wish you hadn’t made the choice you did. Have you ever changed your allegiance: if so, why?
How do you find out about the candidates you can choose from? Chat to your kids about what helps you make up your decision. If you are in a ‘safe’ seat, and your vote might not change things as you would like it to, share how you deal with the frustration of this.
Do you pray, or chat and catch, with God about your vote? How can you help your kids see or understand this?
Invite your kids into conversation about the big issues for this election. For example:

If you were the Prime Minister, what would you want to do?
Who needs help and how could that happen?
Do you think there are any easy answers to the problem of x? What do you think God would say?
Who is the candidate and/or party who will bring about justice for others?
What kind of world does God want? Who is the candidate and/or party who, in your opinion, comes closest to building that world?

Explore what the Bible has to say

The bible has a lot to say about politics! It won’t tell you who to vote for, but it shares God’s heart for how the world should be – and that can help us as Christians work out who to vote for.

God asks us to help bring his kingdom about in our everyday lives and the lives of people around us. This might mean being a good neighbour, or raising money to help others, or speaking up on behalf of someone who is being treated unfairly, who is poor or who needs help. When we vote for an MP or a government, our votes can make those things happen.

You might want to explore some or all of the following and ask how does this help me know who to vote for?

In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus talks about the two ‘greatest’ commandments. What does this tell you about God’s priorities? Who are our neighbours?
The Old Testament prophets spoke a lot about the things that God wants us to do as his people. Do you see any of the politicians trying to do the same? Check out:

In Matthew 5:3-10, Jesus blesses groups of people. How could your vote bless them?

Remember the politicians

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that politicians, particularly those we don’t support or like, are also women and men made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and that they are worthy of respect. Help your children discover this and think about how to pray for them:

Which politicians do you admire? Which do you find harder to like? Create windows into and frame how you handle your feelings about politicians.
The bible tells us to pray for our politicians (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Pray particularly for Christian politicians as they try to uphold God’s values in what can be a difficult arena.
There are many Christians whose faith has made a difference in the area of politics. Find out, for example, about some of the following:

William Wilberforce, anti-slavery campaigner
Condoleezza Rice, former US secretary of state
Scott Morrison, former prime minister of Australia
Trevor Huddleston, anti-apartheid campaigner
Gordon Brown, former prime minister

Pray for Christians who are working in Parliament – you can see a list here. Why not ask your MP or candidate how you can pray for them?

Help kids prepare for disappointment and disagreement

Inevitably, elections bring about both disagreement and disappointment. Politics isn’t always a kind place; it can be hard to be gracious about candidates or not be disappointed if your party isn’t elected. But that’s the point of democracy: we don’t always get what we want or what we think is right.

With younger children you can have elections on things at home: where to go for a day out or what pudding to have. Help them manage their feelings if their choice isn’t everyone’s.
If you struggle with some of the politicians’ behaviours or words, it can be really helpful to create windows into and frame how you deal with this: what happens when they offend you, or if you get cross with them; how God helps with this; and what you do as a result.
With older children, you might want to create windows into and frame how you’ve managed when you’ve been disappointed with election results in the past. How did you manage any strong emotions? What part did God play in that?
How might the following Bible passages help us deal with disappointment?

In Isaiah 65:17-18, the prophet talks about our ultimate hope, that God will one day create a new heaven and new earth. How might this help you if things don’t turn out your way on 4 July – or even if they do?

Talking about the election

Create windows into and frame how you vote

Explore what the Bible has to say

Remember the politicians

Help kids prepare for disappointment and disagreement

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