Get Out and Vote!
By Margaret Mansfield and Betsy Anderson

How do you get today's students – and tomorrow's voters – really interested in the presidential election? At Moorestown Friends School, a coed Quaker preK-12 day school in Moorestown, NJ, our students participate in a simulated presidential selection process that leaves them energized and informed about the candidates and the issues. They emerge from a Mock Election excited about the time when they can cast their ballots "for real" and understand the impact an informed choice can make on the outcome of a race. Students also become more knowledgeable about the specific issues in the actual campaign and are able to articulate not only what they think about a topic, but why. Equally significant is the role-play aspect of the event, which allows students not only to become real-world candidates, but also to adopt roles as issues consultants, publicity coordinators and reporters.

The role-play aspect of this event allows students not only the chance to become a real-world candidate, but also a publicity coordinator, issues consultant or reporter.

Whether you run a primary election or simulate the national November election, the same general techniques apply. Here are some examples of how we got things going.

Start early. As election year approached, before the calendar was locked in for the school year, administrators were consulted to make sure the gymnasium space could be set up the night before and the chosen day didn't conflict with standardized testing, field trips, etc. If you're staging a primary election, make sure the scheduled date is before any decisive primaries in the real world – once actual candidates drop out of the race, it's difficult to run simulated campaigns for them. For this past February's experience, discussions the preceding September focused on securing guest speakers, planning classroom prep time, booking assemblies and teaching new faculty and staff members about what to expect.

Make some ground rules. From the beginning, students need to know which campaign techniques are acceptable and which are not. Teach your students the importance of a fair and positive campaign by giving them guidelines. Student campaign managers agreed it was acceptable to criticize policy positions – such as a stance on the Middle East – but not the candidate's own race or religion. In the end, even those candidates who "lost" won in many ways. They learned how to engage others in issues they cared about. They understood which types of arguments worked well and which didn't. They knew that they needed to be well-informed to answer each other's questions. They learned that they all needed to be well-prepared.

Think about the logistics. Dividing students into "states" by grade level for the primary is practical. It facilitates communication and teacher input within the regular daily schedule and allows for class debates, while keeping the campaigns on an age-appropriate basis. In the fall general election, we divide students by zip codes, with each state assigned electoral votes based on its population. This helps students understand why the most "popular" candidate doesn't necessarily get elected.

Get real. Students got in contact with candidate campaign offices and used the same kind of promotional signs and buttons that are used in the real world. For the February primary election, students also used actual voting machines to add authenticity to the experience. The rules of the voting in the primary election were based on real-world systems used by Democrats and Republicans regarding voting in primaries (Democrats allocate delegates on a proportional basis to the popular vote, while Republican rules vary – some are winner take all, some are open primaries). This taught students not only something about each party's philosophy, but also the campaign trail realities that make some candidates winners and others losers based on how the "game" is played.

In addition to all the great activities, debates and discussions that can take place pre-election, it also helps that learning time is built in for students to process the election results after the fact. They should discuss why they think the winning candidate prevailed.

Limit the field. Trying to directly simulate the large number of people running for president in all political parties can be overwhelming. Decide which party or parties will be included. Depending on the year, we use either the major party out of power or both major parties if an incumbent is not running. We also select the candidates who will "run" in the election, striving for a balance of positions to ensure a broad debate on issues rather than trying to have every actual contender represented.

Make room for fun. Fifth-graders traditionally show up on Primary Day with painted faces, colorful clothing and a high sense of enthusiasm. They enjoy making signs that show their creativity – "Use your bean, vote for Dean!" was one this past year. The controlled chaos of partisan demonstrations – marching around the gymnasium waving placards – allows students to sit attentively during the more formal portions of the program. Having guest speakers such as former governors and newspaper columnists who cover politics, reinforces the application of the day to real life. An issue of the school paper right before the election served as a useful voter's guide and a program of the day's activities helped keep the timetable on track. Students were kept in class groupings to facilitate communication, small group discussion and debate. Lunch was served at the regular time, although the menu built on the "all- American" theme with hot dogs and hamburgers.

Be flexible. At Moorestown Friends School, the Mock Primary election developed from a 40-year tradition of holding Mock Political Conventions every four years. Because the Presidential nominee is now determined well in advance of the national convention, the school switched to the format of a simulated Mock Primary Election to better reflect current electoral mechanisms.

The core lessons the students learn transcend any particular presidential race. These include: knowing the candidates and issues, making a personal choice based on one's own value system, discovering what works in persuading others of the correctness of your choice, following the appropriate procedures to cast a ballot and understanding how an individual's vote is counted in the national race. Perhaps the most difficult test for students comes after the vote is announced, when they're expected to be gracious either in celebrating victory or conceding defeat.

Over the years, several of our graduates have chosen careers in public service and politics – in part because of their experiences in the simulation. Most importantly, all graduates understand that elections aren't an academic exercise and that it's their responsibility as citizens to actively participate in democracy.

Margaret Mansfield is the Social Studies Chair at Moorestown Friends School and has been involved in its election simulations for 25 years. Betsy Anderson is the school's Public Relations Director.