I met a kid riding the bus today.  A nice kid. An articulate kid. A kid about the same age as my kid. 
I asked him if he was registered to vote.  He seemed surprised.  I mentioned that the election could decide if he and his peers were sent off to Iran.  He said he could probably run off to Canada.  I mentioned that it is probably easier to vote than to run to Canada. 
I know he was surprised by my question, from his double take, but I was surprised by his reaction.  I wonder who his parents are.  Do they vote? 
We've been taking Ben with us to the polls since he was wee.  He even got to go to a little junior voting event in kindergarten where he got to color in his ballot.  He forgot who he was going to vote for, so he asked the "poll" worker "Which one is the friend of the trees?" (Al Gore).  Last election he would get into spirited political conversations at his lunch table at school, which he'd repeat when he got home.  I donated for him (in my name, he was under 18 obviously) so I could get him an Obama tee shirt.  This year we've had plenty of conversations, not just about the candidates, but about the ballot amendments, and how important his vote is. 
He's a full fledged citizen this year, with the right to vote.  Its like getting the keys to the country.  He has a voice, he has political franchise, and whether you think one vote matters or not, we think it does, and we've taught him it does. 
But there must be parents who don't.  Parents who are disenfranchised, who aren't excited, who aren't sure their vote means much, who don't have a habit of educating themselves about their choices, let alone their kids. 
What do we do for the kids who are politically underprivileged?  Who never saw a grownup read a newspaper, or even a news website?  Who've never participated in a political discussion, or heard one, outside of the bloviations of talk radio?  This is their country, as much as any other kid's.  We would hesitate to turn the keys of a car over to kids who can't drive, but this isn't a car, this is a country, and ready or not, the keys are theirs.  More and more as time goes on we are going to have to rely on them to drive it. 

Bright kids, articulate kids, kids with great ideas might never think to participate if we don't start thinking about ways to get them as eager about their first vote as they are about their first car.