“You have to be knowledgeable to vote to vote. Knowledge is power.”

On Monday, November 7th students of all grades voted for who they want to become the next President of the United States. Voting took place during all lunch shifts, and all students are able to participate, regardless of their age.

Donald Trump won the mock election, polling 56%. Clinton polled 32%. Third party candidates also polled trivial amounts. Johnson received 7%, and Stein won 5%.

The voter turnout for our students was 34%. A total of 419 students voted: 107 freshmen, 104 sophomores, 101 juniors and 103 seniors. The Class of 2020 represented 26% of the voters.

The national election took place on Tuesday, November 8th, and results were announced Tuesday night. The popular vote winner was Hilary Clinton, polling 47.6% of the votes. Donald Trump placed second in the popular vote with 47.5%

Although Trump lost the popular vote, he won the electoral college with 279 votes; he needed 270 to win. Clinton earned 228 votes.

“Trump has a lot of great viewpoints to help get the economy back on track,” said Class of 2020 member Payton Smith.

“I believe Hillary’s views are also those of millions of Americans pushing for progress,” said Class of 2018 member Lauren Hall, “A president should represent the ideals of all Americans.”

“Even if students aren’t 18, it’s still important for them to understand the importance of voting,” said Mrs. Jamie Hendi, the creator of the mock election. She teaches Government and AP Political Science.

Hendi wanted the mock election to mimic the national elections as much as possible. A voting table was set up in the cafeteria, and students from Hendi’s AP Political Science, along with the help of Mrs. Marsha Thompson, manned the voting booth.

“It’s a simplified version,” said Thompson. “It is a little more social than a typical election.”

Voters were first asked for their names.  Their names were crossed off a list of Linganore’s “eligible voters.” Voters were then handed paper ballots with four choices for President: Democrat Hillary Clinton, Republican Donald Trump, Green Party nominee Jill Stein, and Libertarian Gary Johnson.

To officially finish the voting process, voters received a sticker, created by Thompson, reading “I voted!”

“Voting is one of the most fundamental responsibilities,” said Hendi. “It is the biggest way that citizens can exercise their  democratic rights.”

The United States is the world’s oldest Democracy, yet American has one of the lowest voter turnouts. In the 2008 Presidential Election, only 62% of eligible voters voted. That figure dropped to 52% for the 2012 midterm election. For the 2016 general election, voter turnout was at 56%, even though voter registration was at an all-time high.

Class of 2018 member Daniel Moore said, “As an American, it is important to express opinions and elect representatives that best represent us.”

Newsela also ran a nationwide student voting poll online  October 17 to November 1. It took votes from approximately400,00 students all across the country.  The results of the poll had Hilary Clinton winning with 57% and Trump polling 32%.