Glenbrook Students Reelect Obama in Mock Election

Most students at Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South may not be of legal voting age, but a mock election held earlier this month gave them a chance to share their feelings about the November races.  

At GBN, the Obama/Biden ticket earned 936, 63.33 percent of the votes. Romney/Ryan earned 458, 30.99 percent of the votes. Complete election results available online.

At GBS, the Obama/Biden ticket earned 548, 60 percent of the votes. Romney/Ryan earned 360, 39.6 percent of the votes. Complete election results available online.

In conjunction with the League of Women Voters, the mock election took place on Oct. 4 and 5 at GBN, and Oct. 8 at GBS, included a true-to-form ballot and polling place.

Throughout the school day, students could vote for a presidential candidate and several local, state and federal congressional races. They could also vote on a referendum that, if approved, would restrict the amount of campaign donations given to candidates.

More than 7,500 votes were cast at GBN over the two-day period and more than 5,400 at GBS — these are total number of votes cast in all races.

“If students decide to register to vote when they are 18, this gives them an idea of how that process works. It is also important for us to know how our government works, and we are able to do that by participating in the mock election,” said GBN Sophomore Eduardo Toubol.

Allie Kahan, a senior at GBS, also said the mock election gave students the chance to have real, educated opinions about the November election.

“I think that even if you are not able to vote, which applies to most high school students, it is important to know about out country’s issues. This was our chance to have voice,” she said.

Leading up to the election, student representatives from GBS visited each social studies class to speak in favor of presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney and present both sides to the referendum question.

“Many students didn’t even know the difference between some of the candidates, or they only learned about them through their parents. Now they know what issues they stand for and their different platforms,” said Kahan.

Liron Fridman, a sophomore at GBN, shared some of the same sentiments. Parents and the news play a big part in shaping a teenager’s political perspectives, he said. Through the mock election, they were able develop independent opinions about the issues and candidates.

“It’s actually been a lot of fun. This is something we are going to learn about soon in our U.S. History classes, so it was a good introduction into the political process,” Fridman said.

The League of Women Voters worked with the Social Studies Departments at GBN and GBS on creating an authentic looking ballot and setting up the voting booths. The League also set up a voter registration booth for students who are 18-years-old and not yet registered.

“Through this activity, I hope my students learn more about the two presidential candidates and also about campaign financing.  It will also help develop their public speaking skills,” said GBS Social Studies David Kane, who helped organize the election. “I think the general student body will get a chance to hear about the candidates and the referendum and be in a better position to make an informed vote.”

Please note: These results are strictly based off the voting totals and should not be viewed as an endorsement or the opinions of Glenbrook H.S. School District 225.