DawsonTimes.com

Seniors at Pinecrest Academy in Mrs. Kristen Falk and Mr. Christopher Vicknair’s Government and Economics classes cast their ballots in the Georgia General Election on October 19.

Students voted using a state-of-the art online system as they participated in a mock election program sponsored by the Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI), a national civic education program based at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Over one million students voted nationwide during the two-week voting period from October 18-28, making the YLI Mock Election the largest secure, student-only online mock election in the nation.  

A national research study conducted by University of Virginia Center for Politics Director Larry J. Sabato and Chief of Staff Ken Stroupe found conclusively that that the instructional components of the Youth Leadership Initiative can have a positive impact on students, and Stroupe found that “students in classes where teachers used the YLI Mock Election and the related lesson plans reported a higher tendency towards future political participation.”

“Programs such as the YLI Mock election have the opportunity to excite students about our democracy.  Students are empowered with a sense of “I can” optimism that will lead to a lifetime of civic involvement,” added Sabato.

The YLI Mock Election is an academic exercise. It is not a true random sample of public opinion among America's K-12 student population and is therefore not designed or intended to be predictive of the general election.

Site Classifieds: mock elections, politics, students voting