In the heart of Maplewood Forest, Ricky the Raccoon was known for his curiosity and cleverness. One sunny morning, while rummaging through the community bulletin board near the old oak tree, Ricky spotted a colorful flyer:

"Register to Vote! Make Your Voice Heard!"

Ricky tilted his head. “Vote? What’s that all about?”

He scampered over to his wise friend, Olivia the Owl, who explained, “Voting is how we choose leaders and make decisions in our community. If you’re old enough and meet the requirements, you can register and have a say!”

Ricky’s eyes sparkled. “I want to help make decisions too!”

So began Ricky’s adventure. He: Checked his eligibility – Olivia helped him confirm he was old enough and a resident of Maplewood.

Gathered his documents – Ricky brought his forest ID and proof of address (a leaf with his name on it from the Treehouse Registry).

Visited the Woodland Registration Center – where he met Deputy Squirrel, who guided him through the process with a smile and a paw stamp.

After filling out the form and getting his voter card, Ricky beamed with pride. “I’m ready to vote!”

As he left the center, he encouraged his friends—Benny the Bunny, Tilly the Turtle, and even shy Mia the Mouse—to register too.

One sunny morning in the forest, Olivia the Owl flew down to the big oak tree where her friends were playing.

“Guess what?” Olivia hooted. “It’s almost time for the big election!”

“What’s an election?” asked Benny the Bunny.

“It’s when people vote to choose leaders and make important decisions,” said Olivia. “It helps make our town a better place!”

“Can we vote too?” asked Daisy the Deer.

Olivia shook her head kindly. “Not yet. To vote, you have to be:

• 18 years old or older,
• a U.S. citizen, and
• registered to vote in your state.”

“Ohhh,” said the friends. “We’re not old enough yet.”

“That’s okay!” Olivia smiled. “There are still lots of ways you can help!”

“Like what?” asked Benny.

“You can:

• Learn about voting and why it matters,
• Talk to your family about elections,
• Help remind grown-ups to vote, and
• Practice making choices—like voting on what game to play!”

The friends cheered. “We can do that!”

Olivia flapped her wings. “You’re never too young to care about your community. One day, you’ll be voters too!”

And with that, the friends made their own pretend voting booth and practiced picking their favorite forest snack. (Carrots won!)