Teach for Success — Democracy & Voting Handout

VOCABULARY SET 1 — CIVIC & ELECTORAL PROCESS

RUNOFF (n)

A second election when no candidate wins a majority in the first round.

"Neither candidate got 50%, so there will be a runoff."

COMPULSORY VOTING (n)

A system where citizens are legally required to vote or face a penalty.

"Peru has compulsory voting — you can be fined for not showing up."

POLLING STATION (n)

The place where people go to cast their vote.

"The polling station in my district opened three hours late."

ELECTORAL FRAUD (n)

Illegal actions that affect the outcome of an election.

"Observers found no evidence of electoral fraud despite allegations."

TO ANNUL (v)

To officially declare that a result has no legal force.

"The losing candidate called on authorities to annul the election."

VOTER TURNOUT (n)

The percentage of eligible voters who actually voted.

"Turnout in 2020 was the highest in over a century."

ELECTORAL COLLEGE (n)

A body of electors that formally elects the U.S. president.

"You can win the popular vote but lose the Electoral College."

LOGISTICAL FAILURE (n)

A breakdown in the practical organization of an event.

"Logistical failures delayed hundreds of polling stations."

VOCABULARY SET 2 — EXPRESSING OPINIONS ABOUT CIVIC LIFE

BASIC sad · angry · happy · worried · unfair

→

INTERMEDIATE frustrated · concerned · disappointed · suspicious

→

TODAY'S WORDS ★ disillusioned · skeptical · vigilant · outraged · accountable · legitimate

DISILLUSIONED (adj)

Disappointed after discovering something is not as good as expected.

TRY IT: "Many voters feel _______________."

SKEPTICAL (adj)

Not easily convinced; having doubts.

TRY IT: "I'm skeptical that _______________."

OUTRAGED (adj)

Furious at something felt to be deeply unjust.

TRY IT: "Protesters were outraged by _______________."

EMPOWERED (adj)

Feeling confident and in control of your own decisions.

TRY IT: "Voting can make people feel _______________."

APATHETIC (adj)

Showing no interest or concern about something.

TRY IT: "When politicians ignore us, we become _______________."

VIGILANT (adj)

Watchful and alert, especially to detect problems.

TRY IT: "Citizens must remain _______________."

REASSURED (adj)

Having had your fears reduced; feeling less worried.

TRY IT: "The observer report _______________ many people."

ACCOUNTABLE (adj)

Required to explain and justify your actions.

TRY IT: "Officials must be held _______________."

LEGITIMATE (adj)

Conforming to the law; accepted as genuinely valid.

TRY IT: "The results were declared _______________."

SECTION A — PAIR DISCUSSION

Choose any two questions — discuss with your partner

6 MINUTES

1In your country, is voting compulsory or voluntary? What do you think about that? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
2What do you think the purpose of voting is? Is it a duty, a right, or something else entirely?
3Have you ever felt disillusioned with an election result or the voting process? What happened? How did you respond?
4What would make you trust or distrust the results of an election? What kinds of evidence would you need?

COMPARISON TASK — PERU & UNITED STATES

Your teacher will assign you either Group A (Peru) or Group B (U.S.). Read your panel carefully — then find a partner from the other group and share what you learned.

🇵🇪 GROUP A — PERU (2026)

Two-round system: need >50% of the vote to win outright
Compulsory voting for citizens aged 18–70; fines apply for not voting
First round: April 12, 2026 — major delays struck Lima polling stations
Runoff: Keiko Fujimori (17%) vs. Roberto Sánchez (12%); scheduled June 7
Margin between 2nd and 3rd place: only ~21,200 votes (0.09%)
Stanford study: delays caused ~27,000 fewer votes — but did not change who advanced
JNE (National Jury of Elections) oversees; ONPE administers polling stations
Political instability: 9 presidents in the last decade due to congressional impeachment
Third-place candidate alleged fraud; election observers found no evidence

🇺🇸 GROUP B — UNITED STATES (2020)

Electoral College: need 270 of 538 electoral votes to win — not a direct popular vote
Voluntary voting; no legal penalty for not voting
2020 voter turnout: 66.6% — highest since 1900
Biden won: 306 electoral votes, 51.3% of the popular vote
Record: over 100 million votes cast before Election Day (mail + early voting)
It is possible to win the popular vote but lose the election (as in 2016)
CISA called 2020 "the most secure election in American history"
Trump refused to concede; the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack followed
67+ countries sent election observers; no evidence of systemic fraud found

Discussion — with your partner from the other group

6 MINUTES

1How does your assigned system decide who wins? Explain it to your partner.
2What could go wrong in your system? What safeguards exist to prevent or address problems?
3Which one element of your partner's system would you most want to adopt — or reject? Why?

SECTION C — WHOLE-CLASS DISCUSSION: WHERE DO YOU STAND?

Circle your position (1 = strongly disagree → 5 = strongly agree). Be ready to explain your choice in one sentence.

1. Compulsory voting produces better democracy than voluntary voting.

strongly disagree

strongly agree

2. When an election has logistical problems, the result should be annulled and re-run, no matter the size of the problems.

strongly disagree

strongly agree

3. The Electoral College is an unfair system that should be replaced with a direct popular vote.

strongly disagree

strongly agree

4. A candidate who refuses to concede after an election loss is dangerous to democracy.

strongly disagree

strongly agree

5. International election observers make elections more trustworthy.

strongly disagree

strongly agree

6. Democracy is in serious trouble in many countries right now.

strongly disagree

strongly agree

USEFUL LANGUAGE — EXPRESSING OPINIONS & DISAGREEING POLITELY

Giving Your Opinion

"From my perspective, …"
"In my experience, …"
"I tend to think that …"
"What concerns me most is …"
"I'm skeptical about … because …"

Polite Disagreement

"I see what you mean, but …"
"That's a fair point, although …"
"I'm not fully convinced that …"
"I'd push back on that a little …"
"The evidence suggests otherwise …"