Since launching the “Every Kid Votes” program at local schools including Kingwood Christian School, Meadow View Elementary, Creek View Elementary, Thompson Intermediate School, Shelby Crossings Christian School, Thompson Intermediate School, Chelsea Park Elementary, Calera Middle, Thompson Sixth Grade Center and Shelby Middle, Shelby County students are passionately learning about politics.

The nationwide program, designed to get kids learning about national politics and articulating thoughts on today’s issues, has helped local kids research the presidential candidates and decide who they support in the current presidential campaign.

Participants have hosted and participated in mock presidential debates, studied campaign issues and made the case for one of the candidates.

They voted yesterday in a nationwide mock presidential election; results of the mock election were not available at press time.

If these kids spent that much time and energy coming to a conclusion about an election in which they are not legally able to vote, we Shelby County residents owe it to them and to the country to give at least a little of our time to go vote on Nov. 6.

If you haven’t yet made a decision on which candidate you want to vote for, good news: You’ve still got some time.

We’re six days away from the election — plenty of time to go online, do a little research on the issues that matter to you and pick your presidential candidate.

Whether you support current Democractic President Barack Obama or his challenger, Republican Mitt Romney, what’s important is that you exercise your constitutional right to vote.

Thompson Sixth Grade Center Principal Dr. Wesley Hester had an excellent perspective on why it’s important for the kids to learn about presidential politics: “Especially lately, you hear a lot more negative than positive. You hear why a candidate is the wrong choice, but you don’t hear a lot about why a candidate is the right choice. So the kids will actually go in and review and read each candidate’s platform. We let them make up their own minds.”

Take a little time and decide which candidate is the right choice for you, then go and vote Nov. 6. Then you can wear your “I voted” sticker with pride.

The We Say is the opinion of the Shelby County Reporter editorial board.