Peoria Public Schools students have an opportunity this week to practice civic participation.
Dozens of students at a time filled the front lobby of Richwoods High School on Thursday, carving out some time in one of their lunch hours to cast their votes. The mock election at Richwoods is one of several hosted by a partnership between the League of Women Voters and the Peoria County Election Commission.
League vice president Rob Parks said the organization is already scheduling mock municipal elections scheduled for the spring. Richwoods is the third area high school to give students an opportunity for civic engagement.
“Sometimes I don’t feel like kids hear about it at home,” said League of Women Voters member Datikka Peebles. “And organizations like the League of Women Voters are exposing kids to it early on.”
Because Peoria County voters cast their votes on paper ballots, the partnership with the election commission allowed for sample ballots as close to the real things as possible. The results of the mock election will be tabulated and announced on Friday.
“Everything is on the ballot that would be on the ballot when you show up,” said Parks. “There’s advisory referendums , there’s uncontested races. I think a lot of kids walk in thinking they’re going to be able to vote for president, and they are surprised to see how much else is on the ballot.”
“I was not expecting there to be so many things to like, fill out, or like circle and answer,” said Richwoods senior Casey Fulkerson. “It was just a new experience for me.”
“I thought it was just online, and you got to click through a bunch of buttons and fill out your name and all of that,” said senior Sarai Saintilus. “But it’s really, you just fill in a couple of circles and you’re in.”
Fulkerson said the mock elections are important to her and her peers to keep them from “going in blind” to a vital process. Fulkerson won’t be old enough to vote in November’s general election, but for some students, the mock election is a practice run for the real thing in just a few short months.
“It’s good to get your voice out there,” said senior Jesus Avalos. “Or like, be able to get something behind what you want to do in life and be able to influence, you know, your country.”
The event included a table of registrars for students like Avalos who will be eligible in November. One of those registrars helped walk him through the process.
Avalos has mixed feelings about being a first-time voter.
“Excited, anxious, a little bit of everything,” he said. “It is a little bit of everything. I am a little, like, confused, so I do need to go at it a little bit more.”
Avalos is not alone in his feelings about election season.
“It’s a mix of both [exciting and stressful,]” said senior Elizabeth Urich. “Because it’s new, like a new government, I guess. Kind of new people, new ideas. But it’s also stressful for like, what could come with our new government.”
Urich said conversation about politics and government are somewhat rare between her and her peers at school. While these conversations can be thorny, difficult or controversial, Richwoods assistant principal Dr. Renee Andrews believes activities like the mock election foster a safe environment for discussion.
“Because [students] are on social media. They watch TV, they see all the ads, just like the adults do,” she said. “They form their own opinions based on what they hear, what they see, and so, you know, here they get excited, say ‘oh my gosh, I really like that candidate, and they’re on the ballot.’”
The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
