St. Paul, MN – The YMCA, a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, will support more than 300 schools across the state in hosting mock elections on or just before Election Day.
Every two years, the YMCA partners with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office to run Students Voting, the statewide mock election for K-12 schools. The program is designed to help K-12 students learn about the importance of elections and the power of their voice – and their vote – in democracy. Every school that registers for the free program receives:
- Realistic General Election ballot customized with their choice of offices and ballot questions
- Ballot boxes
- Privacy screens to set up desktop/tabletop voting booths
- “I Voted” stickers
Participating schools are strongly encouraged to set up “polling places” in their buildings where every student can participate in the election.
“There is strong research that confirms that mock elections are not just a fun thing to do on Election Day, but actually helps to really build habits of democracy and voting and that is what we are trying to do,” said Amy Anderson, executive director of the YMCA Center for Youth Voice.
WHO:
YMCA Center for Youth Voice
WHAT:
Students Voting, Minnesota K-12 Mock Election Program
WHEN:
Schools are encouraged to hold their mock elections on Election Day, November 8, 2022. In cases where schools are choosing to be closed on Election Day, schools are holding their mock elections on either Friday, November 4 or Monday, November 7.
Special Note and Photo Opportunity: From 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Friday, November 4, 2022 students at Highland Park High School will be holding their mock election or Monday, November 7, 2022, students at Mahtomedi High School will be participating in their mock election. There are also other schools that are options.
About the YMCA of the North
The YMCA of the North is a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Established 166 years ago, the Ys provide life-strengthening services across the greater Twin Cities metro region, southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin communities. The 29 Y locations and program sites, eight overnight camps, 10 day camps, and more than 90 child care sites engage more than 370,000 men, women and children of all ages, incomes and backgrounds. To learn more about the Y’s mission and work, visit www.ymcanorth.org.