Statewide Student Mock Election results mirror adult vote with a progressive tilt
Wells Elementary School students voting in a mock election in 2008. Results from the 2012 event, which included 40,000 students from 188 schools were released by the Maine Secretary of State's Office on Wednesday. (Photo: State of Maine website)
Wells Elementary School students voting in a mock election in 2008. Results from the 2012 event, which included 40,000 students from 188 schools were released by the Maine Secretary of State's Office on Wednesday. (Photo: State of Maine website)
AUGUSTA - Their votes may not have counted in the traditional sense, but the students of Maine have spoken at the polls. Results from the 2012 Maine Student Mock Election were released by The Maine Secretary of State's Office on Wednesday and many of the figures were surprisingly similar to those turned in by registered voters on Election Day. There were also notable exceptions.
Student and adult voters agreed on the candidates for the four national offices and on all but one of the referendums. Question 2, which asked for approval of a bond for higher education, passed by strong majority with students but was rejected by adults.
The student voters gave President Barack Obama a wider margin over Mitt Romney and cut Democrat Cynthia Dill a bigger slice of the pie in the three-way race for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Olympia Snowe. They also also registered stonger support for same sex marriage than voters in the General Election.
According to a press release from department, more than 40,000 students from 188 elementary, middle and high schools around Maine cast ballots for offices of President, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, and the five statewide referendum questions.
In the Midcoast, students from Albion, Belfast, Bucksport, Camden, Damariscotta, Deer Isle, Hope Islesboro, Nobleboro, North Haven, Palermo, Presque Isle, Rockland, Rockport, South China, Searsmont, Searsport, Stockton Springs, Swanville, Thomaston, Thorndike, Troy, Union, Waldoboro, Warren, Winterport and Wiscasset participated in the event, which was part of the My Voice National Student Mock Election, a 30-year old program that aims to promote civic engagement.
| Today's voters and tomorrow's: How did they compare? | Maine General Election | Student Mock Election |
| President | Obama - 56 % | Obama - 61% |
| Romney - 41 % | Romney - 34% | |
| U.S. Senate | King - 53% | King - 43% |
| Summers - 31% | Summers - 24% | |
| Dill - 13% | Dill - 20% | |
| U.S. House of Representatives, Dist. 1 | Pingree - 65% | Pingree - 63% |
| Courtney - 35% | Courtney - 36% | |
| U.S. House of Representatives, Dist. 2 | Michaud - 58% | Michaud - 58% |
| Raye - 42% | Raye - 41% | |
| Question 1 - Same sex marriage | ||
Do you want to allow the State of Maine to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples? | Yes - 53% No - 47% | Yes - 68% No - 33% |
| Question 2 - Bond Issue: Higher Education | ||
Do you favor an $11,300,000 bond issue to provide funds for capital to build a diagnostic facility for the University of Maine System; for capital improvements and equipment, including machine tool technology, for the Maine Community College System; and for capital improvements and equipment at the Maine Maritime Academy? | Yes - 49% No - 51% | Yes - 60% No - 41% |
| Question 3 - Bond Issue: Conservation | ||
Do you favor a $5,000,000 bond issue to purchase land and conservation easements statewide from willing sellers for public land and water access, conservation, wildlife or fish habitat and outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing and deer wintering areas, and to preserve working farmland and working waterfronts to be matched by at least $5,000,000 in private and public contributions? | Yes - 61% No - 39% | Yes - 65% No - 35% |
| Question 4 - Bond Issue: Transportation | ||
Do you favor a $51,500,000 bond issue for improvements to highways and bridges, local roads, airports and port facilities, as well as for funds for rail access, transit buses and the LifeFlight Foundation, which will make the State eligible for at least $105,600,000 in federal and other matching funds? | Yes - 72% No - 28% | Yes - 65% No - 35% |
| Question 5 - Bond Issue: Water systems | ||
Do you favor a $7,925,000 bond issue to be expended over 2 years for revolving loan funds for drinking water systems and for wastewater treatment facilities, which will make the State eligible to secure $39,625,000 in federal grants? | Yes - 63% No - 37% | Yes - 66% No - 34% |
(General Election percentages in the table above are based on figures published by the Bangor Daily News, rounded to the nearest whole number. A detailed list of results in the Student Mock Election including percentages received by third-party candidates and tallies of write-in votes can be viewed on the website of the Maine Secretary of State.)
Penobscot Bay Pilot reporter Ethan Andrews can be reached at ethanandrews@penbaypilot.com
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