On Thursday, Oct. 31, students at Lakewood High School participated in a mock election organized by the seventh-period AP Government students, their teacher Ron Lewis, and the social studies department. This event allowed students at LHS to experience the election process firsthand.

Students began the voting process by going to the library during a social studies class. Upon entering, they were led to a room filled with computers, where they received simple, clear instructions on how to vote. They then prepared to cast their ballots for president, Senate, and House of Representatives for Ohio’s 11th District.

Their votes were submitted through a nationwide mock election hosted by the Youth Leadership Initiative, a program of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, which engaged more than 20,000 middle and high school students this year by fostering civic education and promoting political efficacy.

After voting, students received “I Voted” stickers from mock election workers before returning to class. The process was smooth and simple, taking less than five minutes, demonstrating how straightforward it is to cast a vote.

“I think it’s helping people realize how easy it really is to just go and vote,” said mock election worker Gigi Caroniti.

Getting everyone involved in the voting process allows for students to learn about elections and voting. Student workers gain a better understanding of how elections function, while student voters gain insights that will prepare them for future elections.

“It gave me a good experience,” said senior Brianna Lehman. “I just learned how the process works.” Although Lehman won’t be able to vote in this election, she now has some expectations for when she is eligible to vote. Similarly, many other students are getting a good foundation that will help them be ready to vote when they turn 18.

Voting can be intimidating for many people, especially those who have never participated before. The mock election provided students a valuable opportunity to experience the voting process, helping to ease their nerves for future elections. When you are ready to go vote,” Lewis said, “You feel like you have a little bit of experience.”

Throughout the week leading up to the mock election, students learned about various aspects of voting and discovered new information about elections. The entire social studies department collaborated to educate students about voting and the expansion of voting rights in America.

“If you check out the third-floor hallway in the C wing, there’s a lot of opportunities to read about voting, voter participation and the expansion of the electorate over time,” said Lewis. The hallway is lined with decorations and informative posters about voting and the Constitutional Amendments that expanded the right to vote for women and minorities.

The mock election prepared students for future participation in real elections and created a culture of informed and active students at Lakewood High School. A total of 2,321 students from across Ohio participated in the mock election, with Lakewood High School contributing 1,041 votes. Here are the results for the 2024 Lakewood High School mock election: