For Immediate Release: For More Information Contact:

October 26, 2004 Lori Kincaid

(603) 271-6646

KERRY WINS STATEWIDE ADULT EDUCATION MOCK ELECTION

Senator John Kerry defeated President George Bush and Ralph Nader in the statewide mock election held by adult education programs throughout the state. Twenty-two programs participated in the election which was completed on October 22.

Senator Kerry received 1114 votes (58%), President Bush 745 votes (38%) and Ralph Nader 74 votes (4%). Kerry’s strength appeared in the results from programs in Dover, Exeter, Manchester, Concord and Nashua while President Bush was strongest in Laconia, Milford, Salem and Keene.

In the race for Governor, Craig Benson received 494 votes (47%) and John Lynch 902 votes (53%). Governor Benson received strong support from students in programs located in Goffstown, Salem, Laconia and Derry while support for John Lynch came from programs in Concord, Manchester, Claremont and Exeter.

Programs that participated in the mock election were located in Berlin, Claremont, Concord, Derry, Dover, Exeter, Goffstown, Hillsboro, Keene, Laconia, Lebanon, Littleton, Manchester, Milford, Nashua, Pembroke, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Salem and Sutton. These adult education programs provide services to adult who have returned to school to improve their reading/math skills and to gain a high school diploma or GED certificate.

Additional vote totals included US Senator: Judd Gregg 927 votes, Doris Haddock 902 votes, First Congressional District: Jeb Bradley 392 votes, Justin Nadeau 321 votes and the Second Congressional District: Charles Bass 503 votes and Paul Hodes 477 votes.

For further information on this project contact Art Ellison, NH DOE, 271-6698.

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For Immediate Release

Contact:

Andy Nash, Director

New England Literacy Resource Center

World Education, Inc.

617-482-9485

Regional sample of adult education students predict another four years for Obama

Last week, despite Hurricane Sandy, almost 5000 adult learners from adult education centers across New England participated in mock elections designed to prepare them for casting real ballots on election day. According to this sample of adult students, President Obama will win by a large majority (83%), Massachusetts will not allow life-ending medication for the terminally ill or the medical use of marijuana, Rhode Island will allow casino gambling in Newport, Maine will keep its ban on gay marriage, and several states will pass bond initiatives.

The mock elections were coordinated by the non-partisan Voter Education, Registration, and Action (VERA) campaign, which aims to educate adult students about the electoral process, help them learn about the campaign issues and ballot questions, and mobilize them to participate in the democratic process on November 6. The mock elections also provide an opportunity for hundreds of immigrants who cannot vote to learn how electoral politics work in the United States.

VERA, a project of the New England Literacy Resource Center at World Education, is one response to statistics showing that adults who have not completed a high school education are the least likely to vote. In the 2010 election, only 25% of U.S. adults lacking a high school diploma voted compared to 39% of high school graduates and 60-70% of adults with a college or advanced degree.

During the past four federal elections, VERA has provided resources that help adults discuss the civic issues that matter to them, research candidate views on those issues, analyze campaign advertising, and learn about voter rights and responsibilities.

On election day, hundreds of newly-registered adult learners will vote for the first time. They are eager to exercise this right and to see how the actual state and national results compare to their mock election tallies.

New England VERA Results
President/Vice President
Barack Obama/Joe Biden / Democratic Party / 4149
Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan / Republican Party / 650
Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala / Green Party / 44
Gary Johnson/James Gray / Libertarian Party / 120
Write-in / 12
Total / 4975
Connecticut Senate
Murphy / Democratic Party / 534
McMahon / Republican Party / 158
Total / 692
Maine Senate
Dill / Democratic Party / 341
Summers / Republican Party / 63
King / Independent Party / 220
Total / 624
Massachusetts Senate
Warren / Democratic Party / 1237
Brown / Republican Party / 211
Total / 1448
New Hampshire Governor
Hassan / Democratic Party / 911
Lamontagne / Republican Party / 485
Babiarz / Libertarian Party / 2
Total / 1398


PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Jennifer McAllister

Public Policy Field Organizer

Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education

508-208-0130

Adult Learners Deliver a Landslide Victory to Obama,

Ban Dog Racing and Keep the Income Tax

BOSTON, October 30, 2008: Income taxes will prevail, dog races will be banned, and Barack Obama will win by a landslide if the votes of adult education students are any indicator of how the rest of the Commonwealth will vote on November 4. In October, thousands of adult learners from adult education centers across the state participated in a mock election that simulates the three Massachusetts referendum questions and the presidential candidates.

Organized by the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education (MCAE), the mock election is part of a New England wide, non-partisan Voter Education, Registration and Action (VERA) campaign that reaches out to adult literacy programs to make a commitment to teach about voting and why it matters. The fact that 6,857 adult learners are participating in this campaign in Massachusetts alone breaks the stereotype that people who have not completed high school or are learning English are the least likely to vote.

The mock election is a way to both motivate and prepare adult learners to vote in the real elections. For some adults, the mechanics of voting are intimidating. Leorid Mejia, a U.S. citizen originally from the Dominican Republic and student at El Centro del Cardenal of the Catholic Charities, says that it was not until he learned in his English class how to fill in a sample ballot that he felt confident to go into a voting booth in November.

Being registered to vote is no guarantee that people know much about the referendum questions or candidates or have taken time to consider the pros and cons of various issues. This changed for GED student Darlene Holleman when she participated in the classes and mock elections at Julie’s Family Learning Center. Holleman, 25, a single mom of a 3-year-old son, born and raised in South Boston says that “Before when I voted I’d just pick someone randomly. Coming here to Julie’s helped me understand the difference between the two candidates. Honestly, I don’t like politics but when I study here it’s different. We even hold our own elections. My top issues are gun control and safety and the economy.”

Like Darlene, Felicia, 49, a GED student at Brockton Public Schools Adult Learning Center says she "thought that voting in the mock election was a good idea because now I really know how I want to vote on the questions. Before, I would vote but I didn't really know what I was voting for."

The mock elections also provided an opportunity for hundreds of immigrants who cannot vote to feel part of the elections. When they do obtain citizenship they will be that much better prepared for the real thing. If they are anything like Nicole Brown, 31, from Trinidad, they too are having an impact on the voter turn-out. Nicole has made it her mission to motivate her friends and family to vote ever since she participated in classes and mock elections in her GED class. “So far, I’ve gotten six people to vote, many of them for the first time. I tell them if you want change you got to vote.”