The League of Women Voters of Piedmont held a mock election at Piedmont High School from Oct. 3rd through 11th using the California Secretary of State’s Student Mock Election materials. All students were welcome to participate and voice their opinions.
“I’m not yet old enough to vote for real, so it was great to still be able to share my opinions in some way,” said one sophomore student.
A great deal of work was put into bringing this mock election to life. On Oct. 3rd, students arrived to find posters covering walls of the school, created the week earlier by several student volunteers. Over the next week, students were encouraged to vote via a quick online form.
The presence of the mock election generated some talk throughout the school. Classmates could be found discussing various propositions and candidates, figuring out what they meant and who backed them.
Results following the mock election found that students overwhelmingly supported Democratic candidates for both Governor and Senate. In the governor race, Gavin Newsom received 169 votes to Brian Dahle’s 31. For senate, Alex Padilla received 169 to Mark P. Meuser’s 26. Statewide, 70.21% of students supported Newsom while 29.79% supported Dahle, and 69.10% supported Padilla and 30.90% supported Meuser.
Students also supported the passing of propositions 1, amending the constitution to protect reproductive freedom, 26, allowing in person gambling on tribal lands, 28, providing additional arts and music funding for public schools, 29, requiring an on-site medical professional at kidney dialysis clinics, 30, providing funding for wildlife prevention and air pollution reduction by taxing personal income over $2 million, and 31, a referendum that prohibitsing the sale of certain flavored tobacco products. Students voted against passing proposition 27, which would’ve allowed online and mobile sports gambling outside of tribal lands. Students statewide supported the passing of all propositions.