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Max Sinton, 11, a sixth-grader at Longfellow Junior High School attentively fills out his ballot in the school courtyard. In a mock presidential election at Longfellow Junior High on Monday, John Kerry won by a landslide with 245 votes. President George Bush came away with only 8 votes, and 22 ballots were thrown out. Of the 433 students at the school, 297 registered to vote, a requirement in order to participate. At right, a voter enjoys a post-decision lollipop while showing off his “I Voted” souvenir sticker. 

According to teachers, the election was part of a curriculum developed to teach students about the election process. For the past several weeks students have learned about the history of voting, written comparative essays about the presidential debates and conducted interviews with registered voters in the community. Students ran the registration drive and the polls, and several math classes will be analyzing the vote count based on grade and gender.