PHILADELPHIA PA – OCTOBER 27, 2022 – As voters prepare to cast ballots in Pennsylvania’s 2022 Midterm Election, students at Science Leadership Academy will have the chance to vote in a mock election on 10/27/2022 to prepare them for the day when their votes count.
The PA Youth Vote Mock Election, which is open to all Pennsylvania students in grades 9-12, offers hands-on training for becoming active voters. This free program gives students the information they need to understand how elections work and the tools for researching candidates. Students will vote for real candidates, youth-focused ballot measures, and see statewide and local results posted after their votes are cast.
“Our faculty and students are all excited about this opportunity and look forward to election day,” said Christian Banchs. “This is a chance to start getting our students thinking about the day when they will have the power to exercise this civic duty and fundamental American right.”
This program is organized by the Committee of Seventy and PA Youth Vote, two nonpartisan, nonprofit groups dedicated to improving government and civic engagement.
“Pennsylvania’s election will be one of the most closely watched races in the United States, and civic engagement has never been more important,” said Al Schmidt, President & CEO of the Committee of Seventy. “This is the perfect opportunity for high school students to start getting into the habit of casting ballots, so that they’re ready to vote as soon as they are old enough.”
Educators and schools that participate in the program receive resources to help prepare their classrooms for voting day, promotional materials, and toolkits with ballot templates that can be customized for their region. Students can vote on statewide races for offices such as governor and U.S. senator, using paper or online ballots. Teachers can also create customized questions so that students can vote on the issues that matter most to them.
Results will be displayed on the Committee of Seventy and PA Youth Vote websites and shared with the media. Teachers can share their school’s results with their communities and local media.
“We know that when teenagers and young adults are engaged and involved in the democratic process, they’re more likely to vote,” said Thomas Quinn, Director of Education for PA Youth Vote. “We need to encourage them to raise their voices and partake in their democracy by participating in elections and reaching out to their political leaders about the values that are most important to them.”
Voting is open to all Pennsylvania students in grades 9-12. Visit https://seventy.org/mockelection to learn more and to register your classroom or school.
About the Committee of Seventy
The Committee of Seventy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has promoted, supported and facilitated government ethics and election integrity for more than a century. We believe that elections should be more free, more fair, more safe and more secure. We want every eligible voter to vote, to be informed when they vote, and to vote with confidence.
For more information, find us at: https://seventy.org/
About PA Youth Vote
PA Youth Vote is a nonpartisan collaboration of students, educators, and organizations working to elevate student voices and empower Pennsylvania youth as civic actors: registered, informed, and ready to vote in all elections. We are focused on building a nonpartisan coalition of organizations, youth, and educators across Pennsylvania dedicated to getting all 18-year-olds in the Keystone State to the polls on Election Day. Through youth programming, peer-to-peer voter registration, teacher and organizational partnerships, and advocacy across the state, we work to ensure youth are prepared to vote and become civic leaders.
For more information, find us at: https://www.payouthvote.org/