OLYMPIA—K-12 students across the state can now participate in the 2024 Student Mock Election presented by the Office of the Secretary of State.
The Student Mock Election is a non-partisan, educational event that teaches children to be informed voters. Through the March 12 Presidential Primary, K-12 students in Washington state are welcome to participate by informing the major political parties who they think should be nominated for president.
“This is an opportunity for children and young adults to learn how easy and impactful voting is,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said. “I invite educators throughout the state to use the many free resources available to get students excited about civic engagement.”
The Office of the Secretary of State offers a free teacher toolkit to help educators host mock elections, which includes mock ballots, tabulation sheets, posters, Voter Pamphlets, lesson plan materials, and access to “I Voted” stickers. The participation dashboard will show student participation by school and grade level.
Students who are at least 16 can pre-register online or using a paper registration form to be automatically registered to vote when they become eligible. Those who will be 18 by November 5 can vote in this year’s Presidential Primary and August Primary elections.
“Our Student Mock Election helps prepare students for lifelong participation and teaches the importance of democracy in our country,” Secretary Hobbs said.
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees areas within state government including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office also operates the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, and administers the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees and the Productivity Board state employee suggestion program to provide incentives for efficiency improvements. The Secretary of State also oversees the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
