Mock election in DuPage County teaches high school students how to vote

In the days prior to the Nov. 5 presidential election, chapters of the DuPage League of Women Voters staged mock elections at area high schools, including Glenbard West, Glenbard East, and Glenbard South in Glen Ellyn, and Lake Park in Roselle.

Areas in each school were staged to look like polling places, complete with check-in tables, mock ballots, and actual voting booths.

Prior to visiting the mock polling place at their school, students watched the League of Women Voters’ video “How to Vote in DuPage County” and reviewed a handout about referendums.

They then walked through each step of the process of voting, just as they would in a “live” election, from checking in, to getting their ballot (a mock version closely resembling an actual ballot), voting in a voting booth, and submitting their ballots. Honor students counted the votes.

More than 4,000 students, representing 64% of the total student population of the four schools combined, participated.

Here's what some of the them said about their experiences:

• “That was so easy! I’m going to go home and tell my parents to vote!”

• “That was easy! I can’t wait to vote when I’m 18!”

• “I’ll be voting on Tuesday. I’m joining the military this summer, and because I’m serving my country, it’s very important for me to vote.”

• “I’m definitely going to talk to my parents about voting!”

Learn more about League of Women Voters of Glen Ellyn at www.lwvge.org or the League of Women Voters of Roselle/Bloomingdale at www.my.lwv.org/illinois/rosellebloomingdale-area.