If it were up to the students in Lincoln, Joe Biden would be the next president of the United States.
He won, in fourth-12th grade classrooms across the city and in Malcolm and Raymond, by a 30% margin overall.Â
In this year’s Student Vote — held every two years since 1992 — Biden claimed 60%, or 12,787 of the 21,194 votes cast by students in Lincoln Public Schools, Raymond Central, Lincoln Christian and Malcolm Public Schools.
President Donald Trump got 30%, or 6,377 votes and libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen got 1,776, or 8%.Â
Marielle Hinrichs, a junior at Southeast who helped coordinate this year's vote, said class discussions look different because pandemic restrictions mean just half the students are in school at at time, but her peers seem very engaged — and are encouraging others to get involved more than she’s ever seen.
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The change began with the Black Lives Matter protests this summer and the level of interest and involvement, especially on social media, hasn't slowed, she said. Lots of students are sharing information on issues, how to vote and importance of doing it. Â
“I’ve seen a lot more people speak up about things who’ve I’ve never seen express an opinion before,†she said.
The mock election, held every two years to teach students about the logistics of voting and stress the importance of it as a civic duty, has mirrored the results of the real presidential elections since it began, with one notable exception.
In 2016, students elected Hillary Clinton — a vote that followed the popular vote, in which Clinton won nearly 3 million more votes than Trump. Trump, however, won the Electoral College.
In 2000, when a narrow Supreme Court vote stopped a recount in Florida and gave George W. Bush a victory over Vice President Al Gore in the electoral college, Lincoln students picked Bush 46.3% to 36.7%. Gore won 543,895 more of the popular vote.Â
In other results from this year’s student vote:
* Democratic challenger Kate Bolz narrowly upset Republican incumbent Jeff Fortenberry for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, claiming 45% of the student vote compared to Fortenberry’s 42%.
*ÌýU.S. Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican, won reelection (39%) over his embattled Democratic challenger Chris Janicek (36%). Â
Democratic party leaders abandoned Janicek, an Omaha baker, after a sexually charged text message he sent to his campaign staff became public. He refused the party’s demand to withdraw from the race, and party leaders urged democrats to write in Omaha’s Preston Love Jr.
The student ballot didn’t give students the opportunity to write in candidates.Â
* High school students handily passed three initiatives to allow casino gambling at horse racing tracks. Younger students didn’t vote on the initiatives, and all the high schools — except Lincoln Christian — overwhelmingly voted to pass it. In 2004, students narrowly approved a similar initiative, which was defeated by voters in the real election.Â
All Lincoln Public Schools high schools picked Biden over Trump, some by wider margins than others.Â
Outside LPS it was a different story: Lincoln Christian, Malcolm Public Schools and Raymond Central all picked Trump by wide margins. Trump won 88%, 72% and 77% of the vote, respectively, in those schools.Â
Those schools also picked Fortenberry and Sasse. At LPS, Sasse won at four of the high schools (Southeast, Southwest, North Star and East) and Janicek at two (Lincoln High and Northeast). Fortenberry won at Southwest and East; Bolz at North Star, Northeast, Lincoln High and Southeast.Â
With just two exceptions, all LPS elementary and middle schools voted Biden in as president. Wysong and Kloefkorn elementary schools swung for Trump.Â
Jaci Kellison, LPS social studies curriculum specialist, said research has shown that taking part in mock elections increases the chances that students will go to the polls when they are 18. LPS also does voter registration drives, which this year look different because of the pandemic.Â
Discussions about controversial topics in classrooms is nothing new, but in a polarized political environment like this year’s election, it’s even more important that social studies teachers rely on strategies and structures they use with less volatile subject matter to help students think critically and discuss issues civilly.
“You need to practice on less emotional topics,†she said. “You can’t have a civil discourse the first time with, ‘What candidate do you support.' You have to build a culture and climate in the class first.â€
Students’ interest this year in the process of voting because of news stories on mail-in ballots and voter suppression, presents educators with an opportunity.Â
“I always think Student Vote is really important, but I do think because there is so much attention on it and students do want to talk about it, they’re thirsty for it,†she said. “If we don’t take advantage of it ... we’ve missed a big chance to get students engaged.â€
The 2020 Journal Star general election Voter's Guide
Your guide to Lincoln-area and statewide races and ballot questions that will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Click on a race name to see the candidates and learn about their views on the issues.
Nebraska voters will decide whether to cap the maximum annual rates associated with payday loans at 36% following a successful ballot initiative.
Nebraska voters will determine whether to allow casino gambling to enter the state when they consider a three-pronged initiative on the genera…
Republican Sen. Ben Sasse is seeking reelection to a second six-year term and will face Democratic nominee Chris Janicek of Omaha on the ballot.
Nebraska holds three seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Eastern Nebraska's 1st District includes Lincoln; the 2nd District includes O…
Southeast Community College is led by an 11-member board of governors that meets on the third Tuesday of every month.
The Lower Platte South Natural Resources District covers about 1,600 square miles in Southeast Nebraska, including most of Lancaster and Cass …
Only one of the two seats on the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners up for election this year features a contested race.
The University of Nebraska Board of Regents consists of eight members elected to serve six-year terms representing districts across the state.
The State Board of Education sets state education policy and regulations, and oversees the Nebraska Department of Education.
Judges in Nebraska are appointed by the governor and then retained by popular vote. It is extremely rare for a sitting judge to be voted out o…
IN LINCOLN
View the Voter's Guide as it appeared in the Journal Star print edition.