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How to Hold a Mock Election in Your Classroom: A Downloadable Guide

By Evie Blad — October 11, 2024 1 min read
A bin of "I Voted Today" stickers rests on a table at a polling place, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Stratham, N.H.
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Mock elections are a time-honored tradition for many schools, bringing excitement and energy for students as they act out the civic duty while adults head to the real polls.

But the nostalgic exercise can be much more than a fun activity. Features in some schools’ mock elections—like early voting, mail-in ballots, and field trips to see how real ballots are tabulated—help students to see how the process really works. Those experiences could ultimately help shore up democratic participation.

“We know that young people who vote early form a habit of voting,” MoonSub Vendetta, who helps organize a statewide student mock election for the Washington Secretary of State’s office, told Education Week in a recent story. “We want to reflect the process so that when they reach the age where they can vote, they know how it works.”

See Also

69ý at Northside Intermediate prepare for a mock election on Nov. 8, 2016 in Opelika, Ala.
69ý at Northside Intermediate School in Opelika, Alaska, prepare for a mock election on Nov. 8, 2016.
Todd Van Emst/Opelika-Auburn News via AP
Social Studies Mock Elections in 69ý Evolve to Build Trust in Democracy
Evie Blad, October 9, 2024
9 min read

Check out this downloadable resource with helpful tips for maximizing the impact of the mock election experience.

Read related stories about civics education

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