Run a Mock Election

Hold a Mock Election at Your School

Step-by-step guide to running a mock election at your school: 

1.  Get started:

¥        Select a Mock Election Coordinator and have the coordinator register with our office by emailing Missy Shea at mshea@sec.state.vt.us

¥        Decide who will run the election and where it will take place.  Ask a classroom, the parents group, the student council or some other school group to run the election.  Decide where the polling will take place and the hours the polls will be open.  Be sure to get permission from the principal and let all the teachers know.

¥        Order/download ballots and election materials.  Many schools also make their own ballots with local issues or school questions to vote on (ex.  Should the school allow students to chew gum?  Should the school require students to wear uniforms?)   
Order mock election supplies!

2.  In the classroom:

¥        Register students to vote. Ask students to fill out a student voter registration form. Download our student registration form and copy as you need. (PDF format)

¥        Prepare a voter checklist.  Provide a student voter checklist to the people who will be running the election.  (Or ask students to show their registration receipts).

¥        Discuss the issues and candidates on the ballot.  Use the Vermont Votes For Kids Curriculum or Democracy in Action Newspaper in Education Pages to teach students about voting and the importance of voting to our democracy.

¥        Invite election officials or candidates to speak to your class.  Many candidates and election officials are willing to visit your school to explain the election process. Coming Soon!

¥        Make election booths/ballot box.  On Election Day voting can take place at a designated table set up with privacy barriers for voters. Your class can make these barriers by cutting the top, bottom and one side off a cardboard box (or purchase or reuse science fair type display boards.)  These voting booths can be decorated by students.  Make ballot box by cutting a slit into a closed cardboard box. Order Vermont Votes For Kids stickers that can be used to decorate the tabletop booth and ballot box. 

3.On Election Day:

¥        Set Up Polling Place. Be sure the people running the election have the voting booth, voter registration list, "I Voted" sticker, mock ballots and ballot box. Order mock election materials.

¥        Count the votes when the polling place closes.

¥        Report the mock election results.   Your election results will be reported as part of the statewide mock vote tally so get those results in to us as soon as you have them. 
Report your election results.