(DURHAM, October 30, 2008 (Updated November 5)) – Over 30,000 Granite State K – 12 students from over 115 New Hampshire schools cast their ballots in the New Hampshire Mock Election this week for the offices of president, governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. New Hampshire Public Television is the sponsor of the New Hampshire Mock Election, which is part of a national youth civic engagement effort.To date, the Mock Election results are as follows (visit www.nhptv.org/mockelection for latest results):• President: Barack Obama 62% of the votes; John McCain 37% • Governor: John Lynch 77% of the votes; Joe Kenney 21%• U.S. Senate: Jeanne Shaheen 51% of the votes; John Sununu 45%• Congressional District 1: Carol Shea-Porter 51% of the votes; Jeb Bradley 44%• Congressional District 2: Paul Hodes 61% of the votes; Jennifer Horn 34%The New Hampshire Mock Election, now in its 14th year, provides students with an opportunity to participate in the electoral process. While the results can be seen as a meter of how students’ parents will vote, Phil Davis, a social studies teacher at Portsmouth Middle School, believes his eighth grade class understood the differences between the candidates after listening to the candidates’ platforms. “[This exercise was] an attempt for students to find their own political voice,” said Davis. The class voted at the beginning and at the end of the day, to monitor the influence of discussion. “This does tell me that even eighth grade students are connected enough with the issues at hand to know what issues a candidate stands for.”The fifth grade class at the Mary C. Dondero School in Portsmouth organized and ran their Mock Election. Students took turns working the polls, from checking off registered student voters, to escorting students to the voting booths, to watching the ballot box and counting and recording the number of student voters. One student said, “It is so cool to do this [Mock Election] all day long and really see how it works.”There are now 70 million youth and children under the age of 18 in the United States—the largest generation ever in this age group. New Hampshire’s intense effort to provide civic education and activities to these school-age children and youth will help move the United States towards developing a nation of voters.
About New Hampshire PBS: New Hampshire PBS inspires one million Granite Staters each month with engaging and trusted local and national programs and services on-air, online, via mobile, in classrooms and in communities. Beyond its award-winning television programs, New Hampshire PBS is a leader in education and community engagement. www.nhpbs.org
Visit the NHPBS PRESSROOM at www.nhpbs.org/pressroom
Phone (603) 868-1100 • Fax (603) 868-7552
NHPBS • NHPBS EXPLORE • NH WORLD • NH CREATE • NHPBS KIDS
###