Mock Vote Held To Inspire Students, Challenge Parents

By Eliza Hallabeck

Democratic Registrar of Voters LeReine Frampton wants Newtown’s Connecticut State Democracy Cup back, and said on Friday, October 29, she hoped the mock election held at Newtown High School would help voter turnout on Tuesday, November 2.

The Connecticut State Democracy Cup is an award from the Secretary of the State’s office that goes each year to the towns with the highest voter turnouts as a percentage of population. Newtown received the award in 2008, but lost the cup in 2009.

The mock election had students filling out ballots and scanning them through a voting machine, simulating the voting process. Ballots handed out on Friday were created to resemble the ballots that would be handed out on Tuesday, but did not count on election day. Ms Frampton said she hoped it would not only inspire students to vote in the future, but also challenge parents to be good role models the following Tuesday.

Volunteering at the “polls” on Friday along with Ms Frampton were Anna Wiedemann, William Frampton, and Carol Mattegat.

A voting machine was set up in the lobby of the high school, and the volunteers worked to explain the voting procedure and the day’s challenge to students who passed by the area. If students were eligible to vote, volunteers also explained voting in the mock election does not count toward the vote on Election Day.

Ms Frampton challenged each grade level to have a high voter turnout than the other, and said she hopes the mock election will be an annual event at the high school.

Friday’s results were released after the real polls closed on Tuesday, November 2.

The winning vote getters in the mock election were Dan Malloy with 128 votes for governor, Richard Blumenthal with 126 votes for senator, Christopher Murphy with 196 votes for representative in congress, John McKinney with 155 votes for state senator, Denise Merrill with 103 votes for Secretary of the State, Christopher Lyddy with 160 votes for Newtown’s 106th district state representative seat, Jeff Wright with 102 votes for treasurer, Kevin Lembo with 135 votes for comptroller, George Jepsen with 108 votes for Attorney General, and Timothy Holian with 125 votes for judge of probate.

Ms Frampton said at the official election on Tuesday, Newtown voters had a 69.9 percent turnout.

“It gives them a chance to learn,” said Ms Mattegat. “So, by the time they are voting, they will have it down to a science.”

As students came up to the table, volunteers explained how to bubble in the ballots and how to slide the ballot into the voting machine.

“The kids are pretty excited about which class is leading,” Ms Mattegat said.

Ms Frampton challenged Newtown parents to have a high voter turnout on Tuesday, than the students did on Friday.

According to Ms Frampton on Wednesday, November 3, 26 percent of freshman voted, 12.5 percent of sophomores voted, 9.5 percent of juniors voted, and 16.5 percent of students in their senior year voted in the mock election.

“The students asked many good questions and became familiar with the layout of the ballot,” said Ms Frampton. “I feel that we had a good beginning to becoming active voters.”