Area Students Participate in "Every Kid Votes" Mock Election

Students across Pickens County had their say on the presidential race through the “Every Kid Votes” mock election this week.

The “Every Kid Votes” is a nation-wide program that teaches kids about civic responsibility. It allows students to vote electronically, and the results of their votes can be viewed online. In 2004 and 2008, the results of the students’ votes accurately predicted the winner of the presidential elections.

Not only does the program give children the opportunity to cast a mock vote, it also allows them to learn about the voter registration process.

This year, because of Hurricane Sandy’s impact on the northeast, the mock election was extended from October 30 to November 2. Some Pickens County schools have added other activities to the mock election.

At Gettys Middle School, 8th grade students will have a chance to present political persuasion speeches to parents about the importance of voting.

At Clemson Elementary School, researchers from Clemson University will be performing a study to explore the functional uses of literacy in community and civic responsibility as elementary students participate in the mock election.

“We’re interested in basically taking a look at how students view reading and writing in the voting process,” said Dr. C.C. Bates, assistant professor of literacy education at Clemson University. “We want to see if kids understand that reading and writing isn’t just something we do in the classroom. It’s part of our everyday lives, and helps us participate in society.”