SWITZERLAND-DEMOCRACY-VOTING-CHILDREN-EDUCATION

Preschoolers and their teachers perform vote counting operations on January 18, 2021 in Lausanne during a referendum, organized by private preschools network Educalis, aimed to ease young children into participating in Switzerland's famed direct democratic system. - Rather than playing house or building blocks, a few dozen Swiss preschoolers line up to cast their ballots in a vote shaping life in a pretend village where they run the show. There has been a growing push in Switzerland to prepare youths for taking part in the country's unique system, in which citizens are called to vote on a wide range of topics every few months. But the Educalis project stands out due to the very young age of its participants. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)