TRENTON
-- With more than 100,000 students casting
ballots, the State of New Jersey had the
highest level of participation in the
nation in the 2002 National Student/Parent
Mock Election Day program, Attorney General
David Samson and Division of Elections
Director Ramon de la Cruz announced today.
Held annually, National Student/Parent
Mock Election Day is designed to educate
students in grades Kindergarten through
12 about the electoral process and the
importance of voting.
"The Division of Elections worked cooperatively
with school administrators to encourage
participation by students, as well as
discussion of the electoral process among
students, parents and educators. We are
very encouraged by the support we received
from the education community, and by the
enthusiastic participation of our young
people," Director de la Cruz said.
De la Cruz noted that participating schools
in New Jersey were given the flexibility
to design their own voter education programs.
In addition, free curriculum materials
could be downloaded at www.nationalmockelection.com,
and at a special web site provided by
America OnLine.
Governor James E. McGreevey, who served
as Honorary Chairman of the Mock Election
effort in New Jersey, said the State's
pace-setting participation level in 2002
is a hopeful sign.
"What is important about the Mock Election
is not so much the final result, but the
interest and awareness it generated, and
the opportunity it provided for voter
education. I want to commend our young
people - the future leaders of New Jersey
and the nation -- for their enthusiastic
show of interest in government and the
democratic process," McGreevey said.
Voting in the mock election took place
on Nov. 1, and individual school results
were then forwarded to the Division of
Elections via fax or e-mail. Statewide,
419 schools reported results, with students
casting a total of 112,550 ballots in
the State's mock U.S. Senate race. Individual
schools also had the discretion to poll
students on questions related to key public
issues such as homeland security, the
economy, the environment, energy and health
care.
The results of student voting in the mock
Senate balloting were as follows: Frank
R. Lautenberg, Democrat, 44,680; Douglas
R. Forrester, Republican, 38,248; Ted
Glick, Green Party, 10,709; Elizabeth
Macron, Libertarian Party, 10,272; Gregory
Pason, Socialist Party, 4,334; Norman
E. Wahner, NJ Conservative Party, 4,274;
and 33 write-in votes.
###
