The University’s Center for Politics launched its annual Mock Election this week, an interactive online activity that replicates the gubernatorial ballots in Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Designed to involve K-12 students in civic engagement and voter responsibility, the program is run by the Youth Leadership Initiative. The activity is accompanied by a voting survey for students in other states.
The center will use this survey to gather information on students’ pre-existing political engagement, such as whether they vote with their parents or if they feel their political views are similar to those of their parents, YLI Director of Instruction Meg Heubeck said.
“We want to hear what those young people have to say about voting because next year a lot of them will be able to vote and they’re going to be the next generation of voters,” Heubeck said.
This type of research is unique in that most voter data on young people addresses current voters rather than upcoming voters who will one day shape voting patterns, Heubeck said.
“There’s a bunch of questions to give us some qualitative data about what young people think, there isn’t really anything out there like that that I’ve been able to find,” she said.
The Mock Election began in 1998 and deals with gubernatorial and national elections, including presidential and congressional. Heubeck said YLI expects low participation numbers this year, as most teachers do not use the activity.
“Our biggest problem is that civic education in general is not emphasized in the schools,” Heubeck said. “I just love the teachers that defy that.”
In past years, the Mock Election has received positive feedback from teachers. Since YLI’s founding, all of its materials have been free for teachers to use in their classrooms.
“We don’t want there to be any impediment to teachers using our materials to create great citizens,” Heubeck said. “They love that it’s free, but they really love that it’s realistic and they are things that work in the classroom.”
To gear up for next fall’s presidential election, YLI plans to solicity funding and promotion and add more schools and teachers to its electorate.
“I see us getting a lot more press and a lot more publicity for what we do and how great it is,” Heubeck said. “It’s so meaningful and it has such an impact on our nation.”a
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