Children's Voting Parade set for Durham on Saturday

Voting days are big days at my house. I walk down to the polling place, just a block from my house, with my kids. My older daughter, 7,  fills in the circles on the ballot. My younger daughter, 3, slides the ballot into the machine. They proudly wear their "I voted" stickers all day.

With my older daughter, I talk about who we're voting for and why and that it's OK for others to disagree with us. That's what makes this country great, I tell her.

Well, parents in Durham will get a little help celebrating the voting process this Saturday, the first weekend of early voting.

KidsVoting Durham and N.C. MomsRising are organizing a Children's Voting Parade from 10:30 a.m. to noon, Saturday, at the Durham Main Library Auditorium, 300 N. Roxboro St.

There will be special voting-related story times, an opportunity for kids to vote, snacks and crafts at the library. Bring your wagons and strollers to decorate for the parade. Costumes are welcome.

Kids can make their own instruments, voting banners and flags and then parade up Main Street with a police escort to the downtown Durham early voting location at 501 W. Main St. where parents can cast their vote.

The event is nonpartisan.

For details, contact Beth Messersmith at 919-323-6179 or beth@momsrising.org.