Mock Election
A Mock Election serves as an opportunity for teenagers to get excited about the democratic process and politics in general. It also allows them to participate in the actual voting process so they are comfortable with voting when they come of age. Before the election we went to local schools and handed out flyers, and also tried to talk to teachers to get them to participate in the essay contest that coincided with the election. The teens themselves did quite a bit of marketing for us; they were very excited to get their voice and opinions heard. We stressed the idea of finding out information about your candidate before you vote so, we also held watched a series of MTV programs that discussed issues important to young people.
What we used:
Voter registration forms
Ballots (from the County Board of Elections)
I Voted Stickers
Patriotic cupcakes
2 voting booths
markers, cardstock, and glitter for campaign posters
Each teen was given a voter registration form to fill out that asked for name, address, school, age, grade, and whether they planned on voting once they turned 18. Overwhelmingly all of the kids replied yes! After filling out their voter registration form, the kids were given a ballot and directed to their designated voting booth. The Ballots were from the County Board of Elections. We chose to use the same one as the general ballot, but the Board of Elections is able to make ballots for whatever type of election you are having. The booths were simple sheets, to provide privacy for the voters. They were a real success and kids said they felt like they were really voting. After voting the kids placed their ballots themselves in the ballot boxes (to make sure no one tampered with them) and were given a cupcake and a sticker that said “I voted, did you?” The teens were also allowed to campaign for their favorite candidates as long as they stayed out of the way of the voters.
With the mock election we were able to attract both groups and individual teens that did not normally frequent our library. By providing the opportunity for teenagers to have their voice heard, we were able to empower them and give them a real feeling of ownership. Many of the teens that had not come into the library before the election now visit our library on a regular basis.