Mock election gives students the right to vote in school (photo gallery)
VOTE – The day after the nation-wide election, students showed off “I voted” stickers.
Finally, the month of November arrived, which made people curious about who our next president was going to be. In various classes, students had the opportunity to vote for the candidate of their choice.
November 7, students voted in homeroom on their iPads, the day before the nation-wide election. The following day during 9th period, the results were announced, and students were anxious to find out who had won.
“So many of my students were deeply interested in this year’s election. By setting up the mock election, I was able to give the whole school the opportunity to voice their opinions to desire in a way that is similar to the way we ultimately voice our opinions in a democracy. In doing this, the students were given an experience that could make them feel more comfortable when they do get the chance to vote,” Miss Kayla Fehr, government teacher, said.
Donald Trump won the mock vote with 224 votes (52.8%). Then Hillary Clinton had 144 votes (34%). Gary Johnson and Jill Stein had the lowest votes and percentages. Johnson had 36 votes (8.5%), and Stein had 20 votes (4.7%).
In addition to Miss Fehr’s school-wide mock election, other classes around the school held smaller mock elections.
“When Americans exercise their right to vote, they allow their voices to be heard. Much like literature, which is an avenue for expression, elections showcase beliefs, emotions and thoughts. In all my classes the results were very similar to the overall vote here in Schuylkill County. To quote ABC News,’Your voice, your vote’ expresses why mock elections in schools are favorable expressions of America,” Mr. Nathan Halenar, English teacher, said.
Many students enjoyed having the chance to participate in the multiple mock elections.
“I enjoyed having a mock election at school. It was interesting to do this because we were able to see who our school favored. I’m happy that Donald Trump won because he is the one I wanted to win,” junior Alex Cavaluchi said.
