How to Run a Mock Election in the Classroom

Throughout election season, a great activity for students of all ages to partake in is the mock election. There is no better way to get a hands-on education than through role playing, a popular teaching method for many instructors and professors. Students get to see firsthand how an election works and what part they play in a real-life situation. Learn how to run a mock election in the classroom to enhance the experience for everyone involved.

Things You'll Need

• A classroom
• Several students
• A blackboard or whiteboard
• Makeshift ballot boxes
• Name tags
• Paper and pens

Instructions

1. Before you begin a mock election, give students an accurate lesson on the electoral process. Teach them about delegates, super delegates, conventions, popular votes and electoral colleges. Though the subject can be tricky, use a blackboard or whiteboard to spell out the process behind electing our nation's president.

2. Pick two candidates from your classroom. Have one be the Republican candidate and the other, the Democrat. It's always a fun idea to choose two students who don't mind giving little speeches on why they should be president. For homework, assign the two "candidates" work pertaining to knowing where the real-life candidate stands on the issue. Have other students ask them questions in a "mock rally."

3. Once each candidate has spoken, have them leave the room. Elect two "supervisor of elections" and have them pass out scraps of paper and pens to each student. Instruct students to write down the name of the candidate they are interested in and fold the paper in half.

4. On top of a desk, place a makeshift ballot box. It can either be cardboard, metal, or plastic. Have students line up and drop off their votes in the ballot box. After all of the students have "voted," instruct them to sit back down.

5. You, as the "election moderator" can remove the slips of paper and tally up the number of votes for each candidate. Once you've figured out who won the "popular vote," mark it down.

6. It's possible that the votes may be very close in number. Cast your vote as a symbolic "electoral college" vote and whoever has the most votes after you cast yours, wins.

7. Invite the mock candidates back into the room and read them the results of your mock election. A great activity for students is to have them figure out which candidate took what percentage of the vote, such as male and female votes.

Tips & Warnings

• A great pre-election activity is to host a political debate in the classroom. This is a great way to enhance communication and teach students political viewpoints.

• Never give your personal preference out to students. If they really wish to know who you're voting for, let them know that voting is a private matter and unless someone wishes to disclose the information, no one really has a right to know who they voted for.