NORTHFIELD, Mass., Nov. 1, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- VOTES 2004, a nationwide high school mock election, has predicted the next U.S. president in every election since 1988. On October 28, less than a week before the national election, more than 50% of the 53,000 student voters chose John Kerry. Are they right again?
Northfield Mount Hermon School history teachers Jim Shea and Lorrie Byrom co-founded VOTES (Voting Opportunities for Teenagers in Every State) to educate high school students about the electoral process in the United States. Two schools from each state participate, and this year more than 53,000 students cast their votes. Voter turnout among the 100 schools was 70 percent.
"These students and teachers at Northfield Mount Hermon have developed a program that emphasizes civic mindedness, a quality instilled on boarding school campuses throughout the country," said Steve Ruzicka, Executive Director of The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS). "Its uncanny accuracy aside, the VOTES program is an example of the life lessons boarding schools are able to teach in a 24/7 community."
The winner was announced on Thursday night at the election headquarters and mock television studio set up at Northfield Mount Hermon, where student anchors and political commentators tallied the electoral votes.
VOTES 2004 Final Results October 28, 2004 ELECTORAL VOTES John Kerry: 326 George Bush: 212 POPULAR VOTES AND PERCENTAGES John Kerry: 26,920 (50.2%) George Bush: 22,771 (42.5%) Ralph Nader: 2,253 (4.4%) David Cobb: 758 (1.4%) Michael Badnarik: 572 (1.0%) Michael Peroutka: 230 (0.4%) Other: 56 (0.1%) TOTAL VOTES: 53,604 VOTER TURNOUT: 70% STATES WON John Kerry (27) Arkansas California Connecticut DC Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Iowa Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota New Hampshire New Mexico New York Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Vermont Virginia Wisconsin George Bush (24) Alabama Alaska Arizona Colorado Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Missouri Mississippi Montana Nebraska Nevada New Jersey North Carolina North Dakota Oklahoma South Dakota Texas Utah Washington West Virginia Wyoming
Northfield Mount Hermon is an independent, coeducational college preparatory school in western Massachusetts. NMH enrolls 820 day and 200 boarding students in grades 9-12 and postgraduate, and is known for its innovative academic programs and diverse and talented student body.
The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) is a voluntary membership organization for 300 boarding schools in the United States, Canada, and abroad. The independently incorporated non-profit organization exclusively serves the marketing and professional development needs of college-preparatory boarding schools, and provides information for families and other individuals about the benefits of living and learning in a residential setting. The association provides these services through an annual conference, a series of workshops for school administrators and staff members, admission trips, the publication of an annual directory, and a comprehensive website-www.schools.com.
Photos and teacher/student interviews are available.