Hooked on Democracy

Mock elections show local youth prefer McCain to Obama

By an overwhelming 303 to 83 margin, students at Corbin Middle School preferred Republican Presidential hopeful John McCain over Democrat Barack Obama – a trend Whitley County clerk Kay Schwartz says is a common one among school age youth in the county.

The results were tallied after a mock election Tuesday in which every seventh and eighth grader at the school got to cast a fictional ballot on real voting machines.

Corbin middleschool 7th grader Colton Merritt signs up to vote at a mock election held at the school tuesday.

“The kids are always excited about this when I get to each of the schools,” Schwartz said. “It is a big day for them. They are very interested in it and I think it is something they enjoy.”

Results among the area’s youth often mirror how eligible voters will cast their ballots for real on Election Day next Tuesday.

That’s because children are influenced politically most by their parents who, in this area, are by and large conservative Republican voters.

Jennifer Parsons, a science and social studies teacher at Corbin Middle School, said a concerted effort was undertaken this year to educate students about the election process and the importance of some of the issues in the presidential race so that they can make their own, informed choices.

“The kids will come up and ask me all the time how I’m going to vote and I won’t tell them,” Parsons said. “I don’t want them to be influenced by adults here at the school. We want them to come up with their own decisions and really understand what the major topics are.”

To that end, students in Parson’s class have watched all three of the Presidential debates between Obama and McCain. In addition, in depth discussions have taken place over issues like charter schools, college tax credits and health care.

“We want them to know what it means to have health care and why it is an important issue,” Parsons said. “Most of them just go to the doctor and its paid for … they don’t have to worry about it.”
She said students have had the hardest time understanding the need and function of the Electoral College, something she admitted many adults struggle with as well.

“I think the whole thing has really opened their eyes and it has showed them that voting is their voice in the community,” Parsons said. “One vote does make a difference.”

When asked, a trio of seventh grade girls at the school said they intended to vote for Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton, even though she is not on the General Election ballot for President. They were waiting to see if Schwartz would allow them to vote for Clinton. Barring that, they said they planned to vote for McCain.

“I get most of my information from the Internet,” said Ragan Durham, one of the three staunch Clinton supporters. “Hillary just seems like she would do more for the country.”

Schwartz said she has already overseen mock elections at Pleasant View, Boston and Oak Grove Elementary Schools as well as Corbin Primary School. Today, she will conduct a mock election at Corbin High School followed by another at Whitley North Elementary Thursday. Whitley Central students will get their chance to vote on Friday.