Elementary school students vote in their own presidential election

By: Hope Jensen Email
By: Hope Jensen Email

News 12 This Morning / Monday, Nov. 5, 2012

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Elementary schools across the country are taking part in the election this year. They're doing an online presidential election to see who America's students will vote into office.

Many schools in the CSRA are casting their votes. Over the past few weeks students have been learning about the election and what it means to vote. Even though their votes may not count in the general election, they say it plays a big part in the future.

"We got to vote for who we wanted to be president, and I was happy we got to make a difference and vote," said Lamar Milledge fifth grader Robert Plyler. "It doesn't matter how young or old you are, it's the vote that counts."

Thousands of elementary students across the United States are deciding who they think should be in the White House

"Since we're under 18 we don't get to vote like our parents do, so we should be able to vote," said fifth grader MicQuise Williams. "Every four years, they should have something like this."

They started the voting process with a lesson about democracy.

"There are many countries who don't have a democracy for their government and they don't have the right to vote," explained teacher Darlene Gaines. "They just have somebody who's telling them what to do. They don't have a say, but today you're going to get a chance to have a say."

They say it's an important lesson for these kids to learn .

"They are the future and if they don't know about voting and the right to vote and how important voting is, then we're doing them a disservice because they have to know that voting runs everything," Gaines said.

"If you don't go out and vote for your president, you won't know anything about your president or you won't know the things or the changes that are gonna happen," Williams said.

Each student received an "I voted" sticker. It's something some of the students are already wishing was real.

"I think students should have a say," Williams said. "Just because we're kids doesn't matter, we should have the right to our opinion, too."

They are hoping that maybe sending these kids home with an "I voted" sticker can help encourage any parents who may not have voted yet to make sure they get out and cast their ballot.

The votes will be tallied across the nation and on election week they will post the winner of the elementary school election. Teachers at Lamar Milledge say they will share those results with their kids to show them the difference their vote can make.





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