Downers Grove, DuPage High School Students Choose Obama During Mock Elections

Most DuPage County high school students prefer Barack Obama over Mitt
Romney, according to mock elections conducted earlier this month.

The only schools where students chose Romney over Obama were Wheaton North (682-677), Benet Academy (315-173) and Hinsdale Central (243-172), according to the DuPage Election Commission.

The DuPage County Board of Election Commissioners and local chapters of the League of Women Voters (LWV) staged and coordinated the mock elections at18 high schools, including Downers Grove North. The league received $7,125 in grant money from the election commission to conduct the elections, all of which were held during the first week of October.

In all, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden received 9,540 votes, while Romney and Congressman Paul Ryan received 5,281 votes. The Libertarian ticket received 479 votes, the Green ticket 468 votes and there were 633 write-in votes cast.

“We are pleased to partner with the League of Women Voters in this worthy and important effort to acquaint students with the democratic process,” Cathy Ficker Terrill, Chairperson of the Election Commission said in a statement.

Jan Dorner, president of the League of Women Voters of Illinois, said in a statement, “We have a long history of community involvement and leadership, including many non-partisan election activities but our work with high schools and elementary schools in organizing mock elections is a particularly rewarding experience."

School-by-school results were as follows:

• Wheaton North: Obama 677, Romney 682
• Wheaton-Warrenville South: Obama 1,003, Romney 640
• Benet: Obama 173, Romney 315
• Downers Grove North: Obama 969, Romney 490
• Westmont: Obama 226, Romney 73
• Addison Trail: Obama 222, Romney 104
• Glenbard East: Obama 1,272, Romney 379
• Hinsdale Central: Obama 172, Romney 243
• York: Obama 896, Romney 544
• Glenbard South: Obama 307, Romney 203
• Glenbard West: Obama 883, Romney 402
• Lake Park East: Obama 213, Romney 103
• Lake Park West: Obama 238, Romney 153
• Naperville Central: Obama 122, Romney 59
• Naperville North: Obama 256, Romney 135
• Waubonsie Valley: Obama 223, Romney 115
• West Chicago: Obama 402, Romney 138
• Glenbard North: Obama 1,286, Romney 503

In Congressional races, students preferred Mike Quigley over Don Schmitt in the 5th District, Peter Roskam over Leslie Coolidge in the 6th, Tammy Duckworth over Joe Walsh in 8th and Bill Foster over Judy Biggert in the 11th.

At Downers Grove North, the mock election was supported by the League of Women Voters of Downers Grove, Woodridge and Lisle, as well as the school's Government Club and Social Studies department. Teachers helped students assess candidates and become more familiar with the physical process of voting.

"We believe that student familiarity with the process at the polls will increase the likelihood that students will register to vote and participate in elections once they turn 18," said Social Studies Chair Jill Rose.

The mock election also helps students realize the importance of voting, teachers said.

"Voting is one aspect of being a life-long, active citizen," said Janet Edmond, a social studies teacher at North High. "This is a unique opportunity, as all students experience a presidential election just once in their four years of high school."

Prior to the mock election, the Government Club also worked with the League of Women Voters and the Association of American University Women to hold a voter registration drive. More than 20 new voters signed up and will be ready to cast their votes in November, according to district officials.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There are plenty of ways to keep up on Downers Grove news:

• Sign up for our daily email newsletter

• Like us on Facebook for a slightly different take.