As our nation anticipates the results of tonight’s presidential election, voting has concluded in this year’s CCES News mock election. Vice President Kamala Harris earned 57.4% of the vote, followed by Former President Donald Trump, who received 39.6% of the ballots cast. Libertarian Party candidate Chase Oliver collected one vote. Rapper Kanye West and internet sensation Brent Peterson also received a singular vote each via write-in.
Among women, which represented 44% of the electorate, Kamala Harris won by a significant margin, receiving 70.5% of votes cast. The male vote was much closer, with Trump narrowly defeating Harris with 50% compared to Harris’s 46.2%. Harris defeated Trump among eligible votes, earning 63.6% of the vote. Among voters who identified as independent, Harris dominated Trump, beating the Republican nominee by 36.4 points. In more positive news for Trump, the former President faired well with voters who selected s’mores as their favorite Pop-Tarts flavor, earning 55% of this demographic.
Senior Carson Bowers, who voted in the mock election, believes it’s important for schools to hold mock elections in order to encourage students to participate in the democratic process. “We are blessed to live in a country where we have a say in our government, yet this right is taken for granted by so many. The fact that about 40% of eligible people to vote decide not to is sad, and I think introducing our election system early on can impact the participation of future generations.” Senior Tucker Hendrix agreed with this sentiment, inspite of our polarized political climate. “Our country’s division and polarization is scary and threatening, but it is possible to hold mock elections that are significantly more educational than divisive.”
Only 22.7% of Upper School students participated in this year’s mock election. This figure could perhaps be attributed to the fact that the election was held on short notice, or because of technical difficulties relating to the Google Form by which votes were cast.
*This mock election was conducted by the CCES news team independently from Christ Church Episcopal School and its administration*
