If Lincoln and area students had their way, here’s how Tuesday's general election would play out in Nebraska:
*ÌýMayor Chris Beutler would be out and future mayors could serve only three terms.
*ÌýNebraska’s Medicaid coverage would be expanded to cover an additional 90,000 Nebraskans, nearly all of whom earn less than $17,000 a year (just high school students voted).
* Pete Ricketts would be re-elected governor (beating Democratic challenger Bob Krist 56 percent to 40 percent), as would Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (beating Democratic challenger Jessica McClure by 1 percentage point).
*ÌýDemocratic challenger Jane Raybould would narrowly defeat U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (43 percent to 42 percent, with Libertarian candidate Jim Schultz garnering 12 percent of the vote).
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* Democrat Spencer Danner would beat Republican Bob Evnen for secretary of state (57 percent to 39 percent).
Those are among the results of the latest student vote — a 26-year biennial tradition that allows students at Lincoln Public Schools, Elmwood-Murdock, Lincoln Christian and Raymond Central school districts to vote on a simplified Lancaster County ballot.
Students from fourth-through-12th grade don’t vote on a number of races, including the state legislative races, county offices or judge retention.
“We want students at a young age to see the importance of being involved in the democratic process and we know through simulations of the democratic process they get that experience,†said Jaci Kellison, LPS social studies curriculum director.
LPS offered teachers guides to help students understand why voting matters and why being an informed voter is important, Kellison said, and they’re also teaching students how to have civil discourse.
But the decided lack of civil discourse in this election cycle seems to have increased interest in the student vote, Kellison said.
Another factor, in her opinion: Seeing their peers across the country get involved.
This year, 20,587 students voted. In 2016, 21,621 students voted, but it was a presidential race. For the record, students elected Hillary Clinton, not Donald Trump.
High school forum turnout low
LPS officials recently held a series of public forums to see what Lincoln residents’ priorities are for a new high school.
They based the forum on the findings of a task force that concluded LPS should build another comprehensive high school, but offered a wide variety of suggestions for programming, hours, graduation requirements and school hours.
The response was, well, tepid: a combined total of about 15 people.
Their opinions will ultimately be shared with a yet-to-be created superintendent’s advisory council that will make recommendations on all the district’s future building needs. The recommendations of past groups have been the basis for the district’s bond issues.
Superintendent Steve Joel said he figures the low turnout was partially because the community trusts the school district, but also because the questions are fairly complicated.
Once the district has a specific proposal in mind, it will likely generate more interest.
“Now it’s too ambiguous,†he said.
The questions facing the advisory council will be even more complicated, because it will be considering what buildings are needed to accommodate all students.
“Ultimately, we’re talking about a bond issue,†Joel said. “How we make sure what we put together meets our needs and will be supported, that’s not easy.â€
For full results and to see how each individual school voted, log onto