Panther Politics: Peninsula Students Cast Their Votes in the 2020 Mock Election

On Oct. 6, Peninsula held a mock election for its students to vote on a ballot that modeled potential propositions, presidential candidates and congressmen. Since most high schoolers are too young to vote, this was an opportunity for them to express their opinions on a national event. Mock elections also help students gain experience before they partake in the official voting process when they become eligible at 18 years old. Junior Blake Dee believes that casting votes in this format gives students like himself the chance to prepare as future voters and form their own political opinions.

“The mock election modeled the [upcoming elections], which everyone is excited for,” Dee said. “I think it is a good thing that students are voting [in the mock election, as] they can get more in tune with being a citizen and fulfilling their citizenship duties. [Voting] teaches a student how to participate in society.”

The mock elections simulate how to make an informed decision that could positively or negatively impact the nation, a decision many eligible young voters do not end up making. According to New York Times, voting is a habit formed over time, and one possible reason young people participate in elections less frequently on average is they have had fewer opportunities to form and reinforce the habit. The mock election is an opportunity for teenagers to start developing an interest in politics, which can assist the process of making voting a habit when they become eligible. Taking part in the mock election allowed senior Nahla Quazi to broaden her in-depth understanding about the propositions.

“I think the one that stood out most was Proposition [16] about making it so people could discriminate against race, sex and [ethnicity],” Quazi said. “That was just the most bizarre thing to see, [especially] in 2020. A lot of things have happened but it is written in the Constitution [and] that is not allowed to [be done]. Why would [the ballot] bring up something like that [to vote on]?”

In addition to the propositions, the mock election ballot featured a vote on America’s next potential president. A total of 811 students participated in the mock election with 68 percent voting for Joe Biden, 22.4 percent for Donald Trump and the other three presidential candidates receiving 9.6 percent of the votes collectively. Senior Jeanie Benedict was not surprised by the mock election outcome based on her impression of the demographic of Democratic students in comparison to Republican students at Peninsula.

“I expected Biden to receive a larger amount of votes,” Benedict said. “However, if the parents of these students had participated in a mock election, I think the results would have been much different. That is why I think it is important that students learn more about politics on their own so that they can establish their own perspectives.”