AUGUSTA — About 24,000 students from more than 150 schools held a mock election last week and gave a narrow victory to Republican Paul LePage in the race for governor, according to Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap.

The Mock Election is coordinated by the Secretary of State’s Office and is run in partnership with teachers throughout the state. Students voted on mock ballots for the offices of governor and U.S. House of Representatives, and voted on the three referendum questions appearing on Maine ballots.

In addition, nearly 200 students from schools as far north as Fort Fairfield and as far east as East Machias capped off the Mock Election by attending a “Rally and Tally” event, hosted by the secretary of state at the Augusta Civic Center.

Students at the Rally and Tally collected statewide mock election results by phone and via the Internet, and reported election returns throughout the afternoon and evening.

Students also participated in a variety of election-related activities, including listening to speeches from candidates, making campaign posters, learning interview techniques from seasoned reporters, making stump speeches on behalf of the candidates of their choice, and voting on the Mock Election ballot.

The students gave gubernatorial candidate LePage 6,796 votes (28.2 percent); independent Eliot Cuter 6,578 (27.3 percent); Democrat Libby Mitchell 5,656 (23.5 percent); independent Shawn Moody 3,093 (12.8 percent); and independent Kevin Scott 1,726 (7.2 percent).

In the 1st District race between Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree and Republican Dean Scontras, the students gave the nod to Pingree.

She received 6,041 votes to 4,607 for Scontras.

In the 2nd District race between Democratic Rep. Mike Michaud and Republican Jason Levesque, the students “re-elected” Michaud with 5,741 votes to 4,268 for Levesque.

When it came to whether casino gaming should be allowed in Oxford County, the students were overwhelmingly in favor. Fifty-seven percent were in support of building a casino, while 43 percent were in opposition.

“Maine’s Student Mock Election provides a hands-on opportunity for young people to learn about our democracy and voting process,” Dunlap said.

“Our objective is to prepare kids for a lifetime of active participation in our elections and in other forms of civic engagement,” he said.

 

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