LHS students mock election an exercise in civics

Some Lawton High School students learned that while voting is a civic duty, it also helps if you do your homework.

On Tuesday, more than 500 students and faculty voted during a mock election exercise created to resemble an actual voting process as closely as possible. The election was the brainchild of the social studies department and open to the entire student body.

Social studies teacher Kevan Reese said the social studies classes had not done anything to this extent previously. Before, they had used a Google form in class to vote. This year, they wanted to make it as real as possible, she said.

Students had to present their student IDs to “precinct workers” in the auditorium and have their names marked off the list. One student who didn’t have an ID was turned away.

Students were given a ballot (in this case a Scantron card) and directed to the stage where tables with privacy shields were set up to allow students to mark their ballots. Students were cautioned not to talk to one another while they voted. After the ballots were marked, they were turned in and students received an I Voted in the LHS Mock Election sticker.

Students in social studies classes had been preparing for election day for quite some time. Teachers provided students with links to the candidates’ websites and they were tasked with researching the candidates and the issues. Students voted on seven issues: President, State Corporation Commissioner, District 4 U.S. Representative, District 64 State Representative, Comanche County Sheriff, Ward 2 Lawton City Council member, and both State Questions.

“We tied the exercise into the local government section of the curriculum on the election process,” said social studies teacher Bryan Young. Students were given basic information and then asked to do additional research.

Jessica Nuth, 16, LHS sophomore, said she found the whole exercise a little stressful.

“I feel like I didn’t do enough research on the candidates,” she said after casting her ballot. Nuth said she based her selections on the candidates who represented her views on issues that were important to her.

“I learned which ones had more Democratic and Republican views which influenced my view,” Nuth said. She was interested in abortion rights and education issues. She chose the sheriff candidate based on the one who did volunteer work, she said.

LHS senior Jessica Buzbee, 17, said her teacher set students up with a slide show and links to the candidate’s websites.

“She set us up so we would make an educated decision,” Buzbee said. Buzbee said she compared all the things each candidate would do. For sheriff, she voted based on who they were. “I couldn’t find anything on what they would do. I voted for which one was doing stuff for the community and which one was doing their job.”

Senior Owen Threlkeld, 17, took another approach to the exercise.

“I’ve been watching the news and stuff a little bit,” he said. He opted not to do any research in class. “I based my decisions off my views of certain policies and who I think would be most beneficial.”

Overall, Threlkeld said he enjoyed the experience.

“I thought it was kinda cool. It helps me know what to do for an actual election. I didn’t know what to expect,” he said.

The economy was on the mind of freshman Zachery Reeder, 16, who said he voted for the person he thought would “help America and put everything like it used to be” and would make things more affordable. “It is time consuming,” he said of the research process but said, “It’s a responsibility (to vote and do research).”

Reese said some students seemed to be unaware an election was looming.

“Some are saying, ‘So this is a big deal.’ Many are really intrigued. Some say, “Oh, is this why I’ve been seeing all these signs?’” Reese said.

Young said the exercise was especially important for seniors, who are nearing voting age, and at least one student registered in time to vote in Tuesday’s election.

The overall reaction of the students to the exercise was positive, according to Young.

“It’s giving them a different way of learning,” he said. “I feel like it went very well. Most kids were very interested and involved. I think it helped show the students that voting is easier than they thought and hopefully that will take away some of the fears and hopefully lead to more civic participation in the future.”

Buzbee and Nuth seemed to take the lesson to heart.

“I learned it wasn’t as stressful as I thought it would be,” Nuth said. “I think it’s really important to vote in local races because that affects you a lot. We are voting for the future leaders of our country. It was easy to vote.”

Buzbee concurred.

“I feel like it has prepared me for when I can vote,” Buzbee said. “Before I do that, I need to educate myself and not just go off what I’ve seen. I feel like this has helped me. A lot of people feel like it doesn’t matter if you vote, but it does.”