The nation has chosen and so have our students.
The first school-wide mock presidential election took place yesterday at the circle stage during lunch headed by government and Advanced Via Individual Determination (AVID) teacher Phuong Hoang. The purpose of the mock election was to give students a glimpse at the voting process by giving them the opportunity to vote for the next President of the United States (POTUS). Administration offered Minga points for students who submitted a photo of their “I Voted” sticker to the school’s management platform, and some teachers offered extra credit for voting.
“Voting is an equal and equitable opportunity and so we definitely want to make sure that’s the case,” said Hoang.
Hoang used the California Mock Election website, a group dedicated to showing students what the process is to vote, to host the election. There were three stations, at the first students registered by writing their full name and their school ID number under sheets separated by grade level. At the second station they received a paper ballot with all the candidates running in the election. Once they voted, they received an “I Voted” sticker similar to the ones given out to voters in the national election.
Prominent candidates in this election were Republican and former POTUS Donald J. Trump and Democrat Vice President Kamala Devi Harris. Hoang predicted that due to the campus demographics, the majority of the votes would be cast for Harris.
“We always say you look at people’s income, you look at people’s ethnicity, you look at people’s family background, education level, our area and just the state, California itself, should be more on the liberal side,” said Hoang.
Students on campus discussed important issues to them while electing their preferred President.
Sophomore Emma Peña voted for Harris because she disagrees with the Republican party’s general pro-life stance on abortion rights. Peña has concerns about women’s health being at risk due to the restrictions placed on abortion in some states with the overturn of Roe V. Wade in 2022, a U.S Supreme Court decision that protected abortion as a fundamental right.
“I think that anyone should have the right to have an abortion or not have an abortion,” said Peña.
Freshman Kaylee Nguyen voted for Harris because, similarly to Peña, she believes Harris will defend women’s rights and allow for more freedom regarding reproductive rights. Nguyen wants the best for her future and believes that Harris can help her achieve the stability and equality America deserves.
“I feel like she supports women especially…I can’t believe people are taking away women rights, that’s the problem with our leaders right now. I feel like if we had a different one, who was also a woman, then she would get us,” said Nguyen.
Senior Adam Elhusseiny did not vote in the schools mock election but is not in favor of either candidate. When it comes to ethics, Elhusseiny believes both candidates do not fit his moral standards. Despite his belief, he voted for Harris because of her economic plan. According to Elhusseiny and verified by multinational news channel CNN, 23 experts have stated that Harris’s economic plan is better than Trump’s.
“It’s not really a good choice between the two. But if I have to, probably Kamala Harris,” said Elhusseiny.
Similar to Elhusseiny, junior Nathan Lai does not believe either candidate is fit for the presidential position, but settled to vote for Trump. Lai feels both the Republican and Democratic parties attack each other and neither of them resolve relevant issues such as inflation and human rights.
“Either Republican or Democrat, I say both sides just overall suck. They just attack each other and they don’t get anything done,” said Lai.
Sophomore Sean Munoz, who is pre-registered to vote, voted for Trump in the mock election as he believes he will help improve the economy. He also supports Trump’s foreign policy in peacemaking with other countries such as his plan to instill an agreement which would increase economic cooperation between Israel and its neighbors.
“He’s going to lower down gas prices and taxes are going to be a little less, and traveling is going to be easier too. Trump has made peace over there in South Asia and Europe, with Biden in office now things are just coming down to the worst, and wars are outbreaking,” said Munoz.
Along with students, teachers also had the opportunity to vote in the mock election. Despite not being able to disclose his vote due to his faculty position, AFJROTC instructor Captain Jesus Acuña-Perez feels strongly about this election because not every nation is a democracy and many people globally don’t have the right to vote.
“You’re in the greatest nation on the planet that enables you to have a right to say what’s going to take place in the future, and every single vote counts,” said Acuña-Perez.
Hoang released the results of the mock election today and Harris won with 177 out of the 358 votes. Following Harris, Trump received 133 votes, Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received 26 votes, Socialism and Liberation candidate Claudia De La Cruz received 11 votes, Green Party candidate Jill Stein received 10 votes, and Libertarian Party candidate Chase Oliver received 3 votes.
The mock election came close between Trump and Harris with a difference of 44 votes; however, the results of the national election saw a Trump victory with 277 electoral votes and Harris with 224 electoral votes.
The mock election allowed students to be able to voice their opinion by voting for their political standpoint and practice exercising their future right to vote.
