FARMINGTON – Mt. Blue Middle School students took part in their own election Thursday, using computers to send electronic ballots to a national database.
“This is a great opportunity,” social studies teacher Rebecca Roy said, “after all, in the next election some of our eighth graders will be able to vote. It’s important to learn the basics early.”
Students were required to register to vote, then allowed to spend some time in the library with the computers. They electronically voted for the presidential and congressional races, and ballot questions 1 and 2. They also selected a historical president, such as Lincoln, Roosevelt or Washington.
The system, the results of which can be seen www.nationalmockelection.org, is being used in more than 300 Maine middle schools and thousands across the country.
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Mt. Blue Middle School eighth-grade students, from left to right: Tyler Eustis, Hannah Gibson and Eli Luker vote in the National Mock Election. |
MBMS students selected Senator Barack Obama over Senator John McCain by a vote of 66 percent to 26 percent. In the congressional races they voted for Senator Susan Collins, over challenger Rep. Tom Allen, and for Rep. Michael Michaud, over challenger John Frary, by similar margins. Both Question 1, an attempt to halt a proposed beverage tax, and Question 2, to allow a casino to be built in Oxford County, passed.
“It is such an important election, they see it every day in the news,” said teacher Tim Shumway, who organized the MBMS election with Roy. “Back during the primaries we decided to educate them about the issues, about the process.”
“The kids,” he added, “are really excited.”
Students were also asked what national issue was the most important to them. 32 percent responded that “the economy” was the most important, outstripping the usually more popular “environmental issues,” which received 21 percent. “Healthcare” came in third, with 18 percent of students saying that was the most important issue.
Roy said that students often discussed these issues at home with their parents and would bring different views into the classroom for further debate. Roy and Shumway have also taken the opportunity to educate students about issues connected the campaign. This includes everything from the economy to the “-isms,” like racism, sexism and agism.
“We’re trying to teach tolerance, along with the election,” Shumway said.
293 students took part in the mock election, out of a total school population of 360.
