School follows local trend during mock election
Mr. Tubbs gives a speech on the importance of voting after ballots are submitted.
November 16, 2020
Every year, the social studies teachers hold a mock election for all students of the Clearfield Area Junior-Senior High School. This year it was on November 3rd in the auditorium. This year we asked social studies teacher, Mr. Tubbs, a few questions about this mock election.
There were 717 voters and 8th and 9th grade had the highest turn-out this year. The results of the election were announced Thursday, November 5th for group A and Friday, November 6th for group B. President Donald Trump won over 70% of our school’s votes. All the other races were won by Republicans as well, according to Mr. Tubbs.
Mr. Tubbs says, “The results are always interesting to me because Clearfield High School does not always align with the actual results of the county, but this year it was almost exactly like the county results as far as percentages. It’s always interesting to see the hype that surrounds presidential elections as opposed to midterm or municipal elections.”
Mr. Tubbs provided the following details about the mock election.
Q: What exactly happens during the mock election?
Mr. Tubbs: “During the mock election, the Social Studies Department tries to mimic as close as possible the actual process of going to the polls and casting your ballot. We go through registration, the filling out of a ballot, and then a reflection on the process.”
Q: Who gets to participate?
Mr. Tubbs: “Any student 7-12 has the ability to participate, although just like in real life, no one is forced to participate.”
Q: What is the purpose of the mock election?
Mr. Tubbs: “Statistics show that students that have a chance to participate in a mock election even once in their school career have a much greater chance of becoming life-long voters, which we feel is one of the most important aspects of being a good citizen.”
Q: Will there be any changes due to COVID-19?
Mr. Tubbs: “Yes. This year we are moving into the auditorium as a way to better promote social distancing. We will also be asking all students to bring their devices so they can complete their ballot on their own device rather than sharing devices.”
Q: Who is running and helping with the election?
Mr. Tubbs: “The social studies teachers and some student volunteers will be running the election.”
Q: Is the voting process similar to a real election?
Mr. Tubbs: “We believe that our mock election is almost exactly like a real voting process. We strive to make it just like the real experience.”
