Having their say

Mock school elections give students a taste of presidential politics

Bill Hisey (left), a senior at Concord-Carlisle Regional High School, assisted during voting day at a schoolwide primary for president last month. (JOANNE RATHE/GLOBE STAFF)

If the presidential election were held today and students at Concord-Carlisle Regional High School were the voters, Democratic Senator Barack Obama would win in a landslide.

In an exercise touted by organizers as a way to engage students in the political process ahead of New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary this week, nearly 500 voters flocked to the polls at the high school recently to vote in a mock presidential election. Obama easily defeated his closet rival, Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton, 47 percent to 11 percent. All candidates were listed on the ballot without their party affiliation, to encourage the students to vote for the person, not the political party, organizers say.

"Students have been engaged, which is the ultimate goal," said Michael Goodwin, a teacher at the high school and adviser to the school's Third Wing political club, which organized the event.

The student organizers said they hoped to generate interest among classmates, particularly those who will turn 18 by the time of the 2008 general election in November. They said they were thrilled with the outcome, as nearly 40 percent of the student body turned out to vote.

"A democracy is an active process, and people shouldn't sit idly by," said Sam Corroa Clanon, a junior from Concord and a member of the club.

The Dec. 18 exercise was one way area secondary schools have been using the presidential campaign to give students a first-hand lesson on the American democratic process.

In New Hampshire, educators say, many students have been able to hear directly from candidates who have been canvassing the state for votes in the final weeks leading up to Tuesday's primary. Lessons about elections and presidential politics have been incorporated into civics classes throughout the state.

Lauren Mansur, a senior at Alvirne High School in Hudson, N.H., heard Democratic candidate Bill Richardson speak and answer several questions at an event at the school late last month. She said that while she supports Obama, hearing from Richardson in person opened her eyes to his candidacy.

"It was really neat," said Mansur, who turns 18 in October, just making the deadline to vote. "In the end, I like hearing about what the candidates stand for."

She described most students at her school as apathetic but said the election has helped spur more interest among her classmates who will be eligible to vote in November.

Mansur said the growing interest prompted the formation of the school's first Young Democrats Club early this school year. The school is also holding a mock election, scheduled for tomorrow. Through a government class, students are generating interest in the mock polls by holding a Rock the Vote campaign prior to voting day.

Mansur said the goal is to raise awareness among Alvirne students and encourage them to learn more about the candidates and the real election. "Interest is increasing as the election is drawing nearer," she said.

Diane Babb, dean of humanities at Bedford High School in New Hampshire, said the school hears from most campaigns every four years and encourages students interested in politics to perform their community-service requirement by volunteering with the campaigns.

Given the media coverage surrounding the New Hampshire primary, Babb said, the school could not pass up the opportunity to use the election as an educational tool. "On primary day, there is a conversation about the role of democracy and elections as part of the curriculum," she said.

Kevin Fleming, a civics teacher at Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, N.H., said his students suggested holding a mock election the same day as the primary. But the idea was scrapped, he said, because many students spend the day volunteering with the campaigns and would probably not make the event at school.

"We pride ourselves on connecting them to the campaigns," said Fleming, who serves on the executive board for the New Hampshire chapter of the National Education Association.

He said the association has made a concerted effort this year to link candidates to high schools through its School House to the White House initiative. At Winnacunnet, for example, both Clinton and Democratic Senator John Edwards have spoken to students this season.

"We tell students that you may not be old enough to vote, but you're of an age and energy level to influence many people to vote and that this stuff doesn't happen in a vacuum," Fleming said.

Some schools, he said, shy away from candidate visits because officials don't want to come across as taking sides. But he believes the benefits far outweigh any potential negatives.

"We're not just props for the evening news," Fleming said. "You lose the filter of the media where you get to see folks as they are. We're tapping them for information and expertise. It gives the students an opportunity to gain a real first-hand impression."

Though the students at Concord-Carlisle did not hear directly from the candidates, the primary has still been a valuable teaching opportunity, Goodwin said.

He said club members put out a newspaper prior to the mock election with a brief biography of every candidate. The journal was distributed to students and posted on the wall in front of the polling station. Organizers spent the weeks leading up to the election talking up the event to classmates and urging them to get involved.

While some students took the challenge seriously, others showed their inexperience at the polls.

Margaret Waterman, a freshman from Concord, said she voted for Clinton because she liked her views on the war in Iraq. She said she has watched debates on television and has done research on many of the candidates.

"I seem to know a lot more than a lot of my friends," Waterman said. "I don't think people my age are as interested, but I think people should be informed."

On voting day, one freshman came out of the booth giggling. She said she voted for Mitt Romney, but said she didn't know why, beyond that his was the name she recognized.

The former Massachusetts governor, a Republican, finished third with 6.7 percent of the mock vote.

Jennifer Fenn Lefferts can be reached at jflefferts@yahoo.com.