Mock Election Aims to Promote Grade School Civic Education

Oct. 27, 2006 -- Wyoming students, grades K-12, have teamed with the Wyoming Partnership for Civic Education (Wyo-PCE) and Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal to hold a Wyoming Student Mock Election, cumulating on Thursday, Nov. 2.

Wyo-PCE, established in 2004 by the University of Wyoming American Heritage Center and College of Education, unites Wyoming civic education stakeholders to increase the level of civic involvement in the state.

Wyoming’s student mock election project is in conjunction with the National Student/Parent Mock Election, the nation's largest voter education project. More than 40 million students and parents have participated in the national mock election since its inception 26 years ago.

"This is a program we would like to offer every election year so students are more aware of the voting process and the implications of their involvement," says Kristi Wallin, Wyo-PCE project director at UW.

Educators are asked to use election coverage by the Wyoming Press Association, the individual candidates' materials, and the official general election page on the Wyoming secretary of state's Web site (http://soswy.state.wy.us/) to educate students about issues and candidates prior to "voting." Students will vote for U.S. senator and representative, governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, and superintendent of public instruction.

Former Wyoming governors Mike Sullivan and Jim Geringer serve as honorary co-chairmen of the mock election.

"Both of these former governors have stressed the importance of civic participation for Wyoming folks of all ages," Wallin says. "The governors' participation in this year's mock election reinforces this important value."

For more information about the Wyoming Student Mock Election, e-mail Erin Cochran at erinco@uwyo.edu.

Posted on Friday, October 27, 2006