Obama Wins Contests Involving as Millions of Students Vote For President From Schools Far and Wide

Democracy, elections and voting at Democracy Chronicles

Students Elect President Obama in 2012 Scholastic Student Vote

Nearly a quarter of a million students across the country cast their ballots, and the results are in: President Barack Obama is the winner of the 2012 Scholastic Student Vote, with a 6% lead over Republican candidate Mitt Romney. The Student Vote is conducted every four years through paper ballots in Scholastic Classroom Magazines, and through online voting at www.scholastic.com/election. The vote is an opportunity for students to learn about the candidates and the issues surrounding the Presidential Election and then cast their own vote. (Video and photos of students voting is available for download here.)

Final results:

• Barack Obama 51%
• Mitt Romney 45%
• Other 4%

Students who voted for “Other,” wrote in Republicans such as Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, John McCain and Paul Ryan. Additional write-ins included Green Party candidate Jill Stein, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the occasional, “my mom” or “my dad.”

The Scholastic Student Vote was launched during the 1940 Presidential election, and has been held every election year since then with the outcome reflecting that of the general election in every contest but two (in 1948 when students chose Thomas E. Dewey over Harry S. Truman and in 1960 when more students voted for Richard M. Nixon than John F. Kennedy).

Swing states can hold the key to the outcome of the general election. In the Scholastic Student vote, some of those swing state results are:

• Colorado: Obama 55% Romney 42% Other 3%
• Florida: Obama 53% Romney 44% Other 3%
• Nevada: Obama 67% Romney 30% Other 3%
• Ohio: Obama 50% Romney 43% Other 7%
• Virginia: Obama 47% Romney 50% Other 3%

“The students have made their voices heard once again, and it proved to be a tight race,” said Elliott Rebhun, Editor and Publisher, Scholastic’s Social Studies Classroom Magazines. “The Scholastic Student Vote shows us that students are engaged and excited about the election, and has provided classroom teachers with a tool to bring current events to life and teach students about our country’s democratic process. While these students are not old enough to vote in the general election, it is a part of Scholastic’s mission to provide kids with the information they need to become good citizens – and to become informed future voters.”

Students from across the country voted through mail-in paper ballots found in many of Scholastic’s Classroom Magazines, including Scholastic News® and Junior Scholastic® beginning in September and online at the Scholastic 2012 Election site (www.scholastic.com/election) from August to October 10, 2012.

The Scholastic Student Vote is not based on a scientifically designed sample of the student population. It is designed as an educational activity to encourage student thought and debate, and to give students an opportunity to express their opinions about the 2012 Presidential Election. The respondents are self-selected, based on teachers who want their classes to participate and students who want to participate individually.

Students can visit the Scholastic 2012 Election site for ongoing coverage of the Presidential Election through Election Day and Inauguration Day. The site features reports from the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps, a team of more than 50 Kid Reporters ages 10-14, who are covering the election from their hometowns across the country. The Scholastic News Kid Reporters are covering the Presidential debates and will report all day long from polling locations on Election Day.