Record Number of Schools Participate in California Mock Election
- Category: California
- Created on Monday, 05 November 2012 12:56
Sacramento, California - According to statewide student mock election results, if California’s youth could make the decisions, President Obama would serve another four-year term, Dianne Feinstein would continue to represent the state in the U.S. Senate and nine of the 11 November ballot propositions would become law.
Students from a record-breaking 674 elementary, middle school and high schools voted this week in the MyVote California Student Mock Election.
Spearheaded by California Secretary of State Debra Bowen and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, the MyVote California Student Mock Election is a hands-on civic engagement project that helps cultivate the voters of tomorrow. The mock election program provided teachers with resources and materials to broaden their civics lessons and make the November 6 election a teachable moment.
"Even though most of the students are not old enough to cast a real ballot this year, they gained real insights and deeper understanding of our democracy by taking part in the mock election," said Secretary Bowen, California’s chief elections officer. "The students researched the issues and candidates, debated with each other, and then voted on ballots just like many of their older family members will do next Tuesday."
The number of schools who participated in this year’s MyVote California Student Mock Election surpassed numbers from the five previous mock elections. In the 2008 presidential election season, 644 schools participated. In the 2010 gubernatorial election season, 433 schools participated. A list of participating schools and more information about the mock election program are at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection.htm .