Medford Students Favor Obama in Mock Election

– Allison Goldsberry

More than 2,000 students in grades six through twelve voted in a mock presidential election yesterday organized by the Social Studies Department, and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama came out on top in every school that participated.

Obama earned 1,082 votes out of the 2,136 ballots cast, just barely 51% of the vote. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton came in second place with 30% of the vote, or 650 votes. Republican candidate John McCain garnered 10% of the vote, with 221 ballots cast in his favor.

While the election was done in an effort to teach children about voting and elections, some high school students were able to cast ballots today, thanks to a voter registration drive held in early January at the high school. The drive was so successful that the Medford Registrar of Voters had to send for more registration forms. Nearly 150 students registered to vote on that day, making them eligible to vote on Super Tuesday in their very first presidential primary.

The mock election follows a mock debate that took place last week. Students assumed the roles of the leading presidential contenders and answered questions posed to them by their peers. Social Studies Department head Bernadette Ricciardelli said the debate went very well and that the students really got into it- you can catch the debate on educational access channel 15.

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See how the students voted