{Taylor} Poll workers, voter registration forms, campaign signs and exit polls – the 2008 mock elections at the Philipsburg-Osceola area senior high and junior high schools on Monday had all the elements of the real thing.
And students could identify the concepts.
“You get a feel for things. So when you turn 18, you know what are going to be doing,” said a senior who helped check voter registration data at the polling booths.
Senior Andrew Taylor, 17, casts his vote.
Two separate, but similar mock elections – one at the junior high school library and another inside Linda Wagner’s social studies classroom at the senior high school – took place throughout the day on Monday, with students entering the polling stations and casting their votes for president.
The senior high election was more advanced, with students voting at two separate tables – one reserved for Centre County residents and one reserved for Clearfield County citizens– and casting ballots for the local races. Students at both schools were required to register before voting.
In the end, about 60 percent of student voters at both schools voted for Sen. Barack Obama over Sen. John McCain.
“Education, tax cuts, abortion issues – I like his policies,” said one senior high student. {Caleb}
At the senior high, the Democratic trend spilled over into all the other races as well. Students voted to elect Mark B. McCracken to the 5th Congressional District seat over Glenn W. Thompson. And most also voted in favor of John N. Wozniak over Joseph W. Vernaese for state senator; Camille “Bud” George over Richard Hansel as state representative in the 74th district; and H. Scott Conklin over Thomas A. Martinas state representative in
Caleb Shively, 12, completes a ballot.
the 77th state district. Students also voted in favor of the state’s water and sewer bond referendum question.
About midway through election day, Jessica Langham, an 18-year-old senior, said she thought Obama would win. Langham, along with Sandra Keith, a 17-year-old senior, manned the election exit table, handing “I Voted” stickers to their peers after they submitted their ballots.
Langham planned to vote for Obama today, she said.
“I don’t understand McCain,” she explained. “He’s always bashing Obama, and he never says what he wants.”
{Collin} Prior to election day, teachers at both schools planned social studies lessons devoted to the election. Many students began with a limited understanding of the election process, but come election day, had a much better grasp of the concepts, said 7th grade geography teacher Andrew Rea.
Students learned about such things as the Electoral College and political parties and researched who the candidates were and where they stood on various issues to help
Collin Maurer, 13, receives a voter sticker.
them make informed decisions.
Sometimes the research led to a change of heart.
Senior Andrew Taylor, 17, said he was initially going to vote for Obama, but then discovered that he was pro-choice.
“I voted for John McCain,” he said.
