Republican Mitt Romney and Democrat Barack Obama Big Winners with Young Voters
(DURHAM, January 4, 2008) – Granite State students have voted! Students from kindergarten to high school cast their ballots for presidential primary candidates, and Barack Obama and Mitt Romney emerged as the top Democrat and Republican picks. Students from across the state have been preparing for this historic primary mock election, which marks the first time since 1928 that there is neither an incumbent president nor vice president running for the party’s nomination. This week, more than 8,300 students from 85 New Hampshire schools voted for presidential candidates and voiced their opinion on issues facing our country. Full Mock Election results at www.nhptv.org/mockelection.The results are as follows:- For the Democrat nomination: Barack Obama lead with 57% of the votes; Hillary Clinton had 26%, and John Edwards 10%. - For the Republican nomination: Mitt Romney lead with 35% of the votes; John McCain garnered 20%, Rudy Giuliani 15%, Ron Paul 13%, and Mike Huckabee 11%.Student voters identified the war in Iraq as the number one issue facing the country; the environment, healthcare, the economy and education were listed as other top issues, respectively. Students also were asked, “If miracles could happen, which of the following presidents would you want to lead the country?” They selected Abraham Lincoln (28%), George Washington (18%), Bill Clinton (12%), John Kennedy (14%) and Ronald Reagan (8%). “The New Hampshire Primary Mock Election is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the electoral process and to realize the relevance of politics and voting to their lives,” notes Peter A. Frid, NHPTV’s CEO and General Manager. “It also demonstrates to students the important role New Hampshire plays every four years in helping to select presidential candidates.”NHPTV's Mock Election website was recently selected by the U.S. Library of Congress for inclusion in its historic collections of Internet materials related to Election 2008. The Library of Congress preserves our nation's cultural artifacts and provides enduring access to them.The New Hampshire Mock Election, in its 14th year, provides students with an opportunity to participate in the electoral process. There are now 70 million youth and children under the age of 18 in the United States—the largest ever generation 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.The New Hampshire Student/Parent Mock Election is supported by the New Hampshire Department of Education, the New Hampshire Council for the Social Studies, New Hampshire Public Television, the League of Women Voters of New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Political Library, the University of New Hampshire Education Department, and the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College.
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