NICKELODEON LETS KIDS' VOICES BE HEARD THIS ELECTION SEASON WITH RETURN OF BELLWETHER “KIDS' VOTE” POLL AND BRAND-NEW NICK NEWS: KIDS PICK THE PRESIDENT SPECIAL
HOSTED BY KEKE PALMER
NICK'S “KIDS’ VOTE” LAUNCHES TODAY, WITH RESULTS REVEALED IN NICK NEWS SPECIAL, PREMIERING
TUESDAY, OCT. 27, AT 7 P.M. (ET/PT)
Share it: @Nickelodeon #NickNews #KidsPickthePresident
HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--Oct. 20, 2020—Nickelodeon is letting kids’ voices be heard this election season with the return of its bellwether “Kids’ Vote” poll and a brand-new
Nick News: Kids Pick the President special hosted by entertainment powerhouse Keke Palmer. Beginning today, kids can cast their vote for who they want to be the next president at
KidsPickthePresident.com, and the results of the poll will be revealed during the
Nick News TV special premiering Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. (ET/PT). The
Kids Pick the President“Kids’ Vote” is an informal non-scientific poll, meant for entertainment purposes only.
“Through Kids Pick the President and the return of Nick News, Nickelodeon continues to inform and educate children on the democratic process and the importance of voting,” said Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson, Vice President of News Programming, Nickelodeon and Executive Producer of Nick News. “Although our audience is not of voting age, we still have a responsibility to help amplify their voices around the issues that are most important to them in a space they can call their own, so they know that they too can make a difference by playing a role in the electoral process.”
Added Laguerre-Wilkinson, “We are thrilled to have Keke Palmer join us as host of our special and connect with young viewers in the way that only she can. Keke has been a part of our Nick family since she was a kid herself, and we’re so proud to have watched her grow into a powerful voice for her generation.”
“Voting in my first election when I was 18 was extremely important to me and now more than ever, it’s crucial that this next generation of kids grow up with an understanding of our political system and how they can be agents of change,” said Palmer. “I’m so proud to be a part of the Nickelodeon family and this special, which will teach kids about the election and empower them to stand up for what they believe in.”
Beginning today, kids can visit
KidsPickthePresident.com to cast their vote for Joseph R. Biden or Donald J. Trump to be the next President of the United States, download an “I Voted” sticker/badge and learn more about the
Nick News special. One vote will be tabulated per household device. The “Kids’ Vote” results will be announced on Tuesday, Oct. 27, during the 7 p.m. (ET) telecast of the
Nick News: Kids Pick the President special.
The hour-long Nick News: Kids Pick the President special will provide a thorough overview of the basics of voting and give kids a platform to voice their concerns on the issues they care about most in the 2020 presidential election, such as COVID-19, racial equality and the environment. The program will also feature child, adolescent and family psychologist Dr. Jen Harstein and youth activists, including: Zoë Jenkins, founder of a DEI initiative in her Lexington, Ky., high school; and Mari Copeny (‘Little Miss Flint’), who continues to raise awareness about the ongoing water crisis in her hometown of Flint, Mich., and has expanded her efforts to communities across the nation dealing with toxic water.
To further support and help educate kids, Nickelodeon has partnered with: iCivics, the nation's premier civic education provider, founded by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, that reaches over 7.5 million students in all 50 states each year; Encyclopedia Britannica’s LumieLabs, to develop a civics education curriculum and provide their video-creation and storytelling software to elementary students from Title 1 schools in 15 states across the country; the National Association for Media Literacy Education, an organization that aims to make media literacy highly valued and widely practiced as an essential life skill, to help kids sort through all of the election news; and UNICEF Kid Power, to create an election-themed Kid Power Up video kids can play to unlock critical support through UNICEF, such as internet connectivity, therapeutic food packets, family meals, and medical supplies to children in global and local communities.
Nick News: Kids Pick the President will simulcast across Nickelodeon, TeenNick and Nicktoons, and be available on Nickelodeon YouTube, Nick On Demand, the Nick App and the Nick Pluto TV channel following the premiere.
Nick News: Kids Pick the President is executive produced by Vice President of News Programming Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson. Paul J. Medford, Vice President, Unscripted, Current Series, and Luke Wahl, Vice President, Digital Studios also serve as executive producers. Production of the special for Nickelodeon is overseen by Ashley Kaplan, Senior Vice President, Digital Studios.
The Kids Pick the President“Kids’ Vote” is an initiative Nickelodeon has held over the last 36 years and for the last nine presidential election cycles. Beginning with the net’s inaugural “Kids’ Vote” in 1988, kids have correctly chosen the next U.S. president in advance of the national election six out of the last eight times.
Keke Palmer is an actress, music artist, host, author, humanitarian and a passionate voice for her generation. She was nominated for a 2020 Emmy Award for co-hosting the popular daytime series,
GMA3: Strahan, Sara, and Keke and also hosts
Singled Out on Quibi, based on the hit MTV series from the ‘90s. Palmer most recently hosted the MTV VMA Awards and starred in the 2019 blockbuster hit film
Hustlers, opposite Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu and Cardi B. She began her career with a breakout role in
Akeelah and the Bee and has since starred in over 20 feature films including box office mega-hit
Ice Age: Continental Drift,
Joyful Noise,
Brotherly Love, and
Imperial Dreams. She’s known for her work on the small screen with past TV credits including
True Jackson, VP for which she received four NAACP Image Awards, Lee Daniels’
Star,
Berlin Station,
Grease: Live,
A Trip to Bountiful,
Full Circle,
CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story,
Scream Queens, and
Masters of Sex. She made history as the youngest and first Black Cinderella in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical,
Cinderella on Broadway. Keke is the founder of her own record label, Big Bosses Ent, and prolifically records and releases music, most recently the hit songs “Dreamcatcher,” “Snack”, “Virgo Tendencies” and “Sticky” for which she created the viral sensation “Sticky Dance Challenge.”
Update (10/23) - Nick News: Kids Pick The President will feature a special performance by
Young Dylan, and appearances by Asher Angel, Tyra Banks, Joshua Bassett, Brie and Nikki Bella, Nicole Byer, Miranda Cosgrove (
iCarly), Stephen Curry, Skai Jackson, DJ Khaled, Liza Koshy, Peyton List, Jace Norman (
Henry Danger), Kel Mitchell (
All That,
Kenan & Kel,
Good Burger,
Game Shakers), Usher, and Maddie Ziegler.
Cast members from current and upcoming Nickelodeon shows that are taking part include
Side Hustle‘s Jules LeBlanc and Jayden Bartels,
Danger Force‘s Havan Flores, Terrence Little Gardenhigh, Dana Heath, and Luca Luhan,
Unfiltered‘s Lex Lumpkin, Gabrielle Nevaeh Green and Darci Lynne Farmer and
The Astronauts‘ Miya Cech.
Nickelodeon, now in its 41st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit
http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).
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Kids' view on election may surprise when they 'Pick the President'
Children have been watching and listening as we near Election Day - and what they have to say about President Trump and Joe Biden may surprise parents and other adults.
In their own democratic process, Nickelodeon's "Kids Pick The President" will show, for the ninth time since its debut in 1988, how kids feel about the direction of our country and who they think should lead.
Voting has been ongoing throughout the month. Soon, the kids' choice will be revealed in a primetime special broadcast across Nickelodeon's cable properties.
"It's a civics education and a reminder that even though you’re not of age to vote, this is a platform where your vote does count," said Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson, Vice President of News Programming for the network and executive producer of Tuesday's special.
The special, hosted by Keke Palmer, goes beyond just the unofficial poll numbers. There will be a primer on America's democratic history, explanations of the Electoral College, and the two-party system. What audiences will not see are discussions on the volatile topics brought up by the candidates: collusion, misinformation and hacking are not on this platform.
"These are very fluid situations so we’re not touching on those," said Laguerre-Wilkinson. "We’re looking at the overall perspective of voting. What does come up and what is unusual in this time, in this period, is voting in a pandemic."
To that end, you can expect discussions of mail-in and in-person voting. But what about "election meddling" in the form of kids simply carbon-copying parental opinion? The Peabody award-winning producer says it doesn't factor in as much as you may think.
"We’re providing a way for them to develop their own opinion," she said. "That’s why they have their own chance to vote. They don’t necessarily go their parents’ route and that’s refreshing.
"They know what’s right and wrong and what doesn’t feel right."
The kids chosen to speak during the program were particularly critical of the behavior of the candidates during the frequently-interrupted and widely-panned first debate.
"It was a little bit of finger wagging," Laguerre-Wilkinson said. "‘We’re not very happy with you, so you better shape up.’ Don’t underestimate these children. They are the future and they are watching us.”
"Nick News: Kids Pick the President" airs Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 7pm ET/PT across Nickelodeon's suite of cable channels.
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Originally published: Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 15:53 BST.
