Fifth graders cast votes

Monday, November 6, 2006
Megan Schwartz, from left, votes while 5th grade "voting commissioners" Mallory Koepke, Ian Pearson and Kailee Clapp oversee the process. (Grant Strunk/McCook Daily Gazette)

Students across the state got a taste of the election process Wednesday, when they cast their vote in mock elections.

Sponsored by Secretary of State of Gale and the Omaha World Herald, 45,152 students from 313 schools participated in the Student Vote program, including fifth grade students in Denise Lee's social studies class at Central Elementary.

Results from Central Elementary and state wide showed a tight race in the 3rd Congressional District, with Adrian Smith edging Scott Kleeb by two votes in Lee's classes and by six percent statewide.

Locally, results from Central Elementary's mock election showed: Governor, Dave Heineman over David Hahn, 89 votes to 54; U.S. Senate, Sen. Ben Nelson over Pete Ricketts, 89 to 17; 3rd Congressional District, Adrian Smith over Scott Kleeb, 54 to 52; and 44th District Legislature, Frank Shoemaker over Mark Christensen, 68 to 38.

State-wide results matched McCook's fifth graders closely, with Heineman over Hahn, 69 to 25 percent, Nelson over Ricketts, 60 to 40 percent, Smith over Kleeb, 48 to 42 percent. Also included were results for the 1st Congressional District, Fortenberry over Moul, 75 to 40 percent and 2nd Congressional District, Terry over Esch, 62 to 38 percent.

Lee said students studied the candidates by reading their Web sites and newspaper articles.

Each class then picked four issues they were interested in and researched each candidate's position. One classroom picked taxes ('they need to be lower'), water ( "don't have enough"), national security ("we need more"), and war ("I want it to end.") "Commissioners" were elected in each classroom to hand out and count each vote. Students also viewed taped television advertisements of the candidates to find out how candidates felt about issues.

Lees said the Student Vote program taught kids how to vote by looking at the issues rather than randomly picking out a candidate to vote for.

"This program helps advance civics education by teaching students some of the basics of government and giving them experience in voting," Gale said.

"Our excellent partnership with the Omaha World Herald is promoting Nebraska students to be lifelong voters."

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