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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Tuesday, February 19, 2008 10:19 PM CST
Ashmore students cast their ballots in mock election

By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
rstroud@jg-tc.com

ASHMORE — Davis Coffey and Adrienne Gullion carefully considered the three options on the ballot Tuesday afternoon before stepping into the voting booth.

The two young voters fidgeted with excitement as they discussed their plans to vote for “movies and munchies” over “games and goodies” or “stories and snacks.”

Adrienne, Davis and their first-grade classmates filled out ballots in a real Coles County voting booth as part of their ongoing social studies lessons. The first graders were voting for the special activity they will hold in late April in honor of student teacher Diane Veach’s last day with their class.

Veach said 15 students voted Tuesday. She said the ballot box will not be unsealed and the total votes will not be counted until the four students who were absent on election day submit their votes.

“The other four will vote absentee,” Veach said. “They will still feel like they are part of the election and having a voice.”

Veach said the first graders in teacher Sandy Evans’ class have been learning about American symbols, presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and voting and other civic duties. She said the election activity was organized as a fun way for them to learn firsthand about voting.

“We told them the most important thing you can do as a citizen is exercise your right to vote,” Veach said.

As she waited outside the voting booth, Adrienne said she was excited because this would be the first time she and her classmates have voted in an election at school.

“The fun part is we get to vote in a real voting booth,” Davis said.

The voting booth was covered by the usual red, white and blue curtains to give the young voters privacy as they filled out their ballots. They stood on a plastic milk crate so they could reach the metal writing platform within the booth.

As part of their social studies lessons, the first-graders also created campaign posters last week. Each poster featured a photograph of its candidate wearing a red, white and blue hat. Both Adrienne and Davis said they had been lobbying their friends for votes in Tuesday’s election and had thought about what they would say in a real election.

“I would say don’t be scared. Just vote for me,” Adrienne said.

Davis marveled at the length of presidential primary and general election campaigns in the real world.

“They are voting for president for a long time. It takes like a hundred days,” Davis said.

Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 348-5734.

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CLICK TO ENLARGE

Ashmore Elementary School first-grader Jarred Cullum reaches for a 'I Voted' sticker for student teacher Diane Veach (on left) as he takes her ballot to put into the ballot box Tuesday afternoon (February 19, 2008) during first-grade teacher Sandy Evans' (on right) class election at the school in Ashmore. (Photo by Ken Trevarthan).