Nov. 9, 2018

Students cast their votes in mock election

The Upper St. Clair High School Law & Politics Club hosted a mock election on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018, during lunch periods. The results of the mock election mirrored that of the Upper St. Clair community.

“We hope to capitalize on the student body's quest to be politically aware/active,” Ron Sivillo, social studies teacher and club sponsor, said. “We included all races that a resident of Upper St. Clair Township would encounter on the November ballot.”

Mr. Sivillo and club members view the mock election as an opportunity to share information about elected positions as well as the importance of voting.

“We hope that by encouraging students to vote in a mock election, students first learn that voting is an important part of civic duty,” Claire Chen, a junior and member of the Law & Politics Club, said. “Second, we hope to send the message that by going out and making an educated voting choice, students can have an impact and that their vote matters.”

The Law & Politics Club typically holds mock elections for all primary and general elections.

“For obvious reasons, there is less student interest in odd-numbered years and in primaries, as opposed to the general election,” Cory Horgan, a senior and president of the Law & Politics Club, said.

Members of the Law & Politics Club handle all aspects of organizing and supervising the mock election event. In addition to setting up and manning the voting area, club members ensure election integrity by certifying that each student votes only one time.

“Mock elections give students who can’t vote a small representation of what our voting system is similar to (not that we are a true representation of voting centers),” Claire said. “It also gives students a chance to talk about potential candidates they are considering voting for with their friends.”

Ultimately, the Law & Politics Club hopes its efforts encourage voter turnout in official elections.