By By KEVIN SCOTT CUTLER Lifestyles & Features Editor
NORTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL — Students in the Beaufort County Schools will get a taste of democracy in action Tuesday when they hit the polls in a mock election.
Those at Northside High School have been particularly active this election year, designing bulletin boards focusing on the various races and studying the platforms of those seeking state and national offices.
Information used in the mock election was garnered from the state board of elections and official web sites.
To insure the students have an authentic experience, schools held mock voter registration in October. And, as at Northside, students have been distributing ribbons to show support for the parties and candidates of their choice, according to Paul.
On the big day, students who preregistered can vote between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Northside’s media center. Once the votes are counted, the results will be sent to the county office, according to Paul.
Such issues as the economy and the war on terrorism are taking center stage in the mock election, as they have in the real thing.
Northside senior Callie Leigh is among the students taking an active role in the mock election.
Fellow senior Nate Van Nortwick said the mock election has helped show him the importance of voting.
The local mock election is being held in conjunction with Kids Voting USA, according to Sarah Hodges, public information officer for Beaufort County Schools.
Along with preparing bulletin boards with candidate information and holding voter registration, the county’s students are studying the electoral process, Hodges said. One group of first graders is even studying the election process by voting for their barnyard animal of the week, she added.
Election day tallies will be collected and shared for comparison with local, state and national votes, according to Hodges.