The following ideas was taken from the 1929 Lake Madison Chautauqua program.
Chautauqua week is a good time week for the boys and girls. New games, new stories, hikes and picnics and parades and contests and stunts make it the finest week of the year.
One of the most important features of Chautauqua is 'Junior Town' where boys and girls elect their own mayor, marshal, town clerk, and learn to take the responsibility of citizenship. Out of this we should produce citizens for tomorrow who will not shirk the tasks of honest, loyal, home town government. By Junior Town we help develop a loyalty to the home town which shall help in the battle of the next twenty years to save America. Formation is much easier than reformation, hence junior supervision is an important part of a modern Chautauqua.
Too much emphasis cannot be placed upon this department, as today's juniors will be tomorrow's citizens.
Take a field trip to the offices of the mayor, marshal, town clerk or invite them to you classroom to learn about their roles and responsibilities. Then, organize your classroom as a Junior Town. First, have the students develop job descriptions for each office. Then, students can 'run' for office with speeches, advertisements, etc. culminating with the election.
Check out the Lesson Plans Page for lots of lesson plans about elections.