Over 1,200 students in world history, U.S. history, government, and economics classes at Golden Valley High School participated in a student mock election last week.   Shanna Mann, an Advanced Placement U.S. history teacher, said the school has been doing mock elections for students for the past 10 years she has been there and most likely since before her.   “We want to empower students to be able to find information and be an educated voter,” said Mann.  She said she will never forget how a few years ago, her students came up to her expressing how nervous they were to vote because they didn’t think they were ready. She took this as a welcoming opportunity because it showed her the students understood how important it was to vote.   “They understood that it matters and that in a representative democracy like we have, that your voice is how you participate and how you choose people who make decisions on your behalf,” said Mann.  In preparation for the mock election, teachers showed their students where they could find nonpartisan information on ballot measures and candidates so the students could weigh their options and make their own decisions, said Mann.   They also showed the students how to pre-register to vote for when some of them turned 16 years old or register to vote for those who were 18 years old.   Over 1,200 students in world history, U.S. history, government, and economics classes at Golden Valley High School participated in a student mock election last week. Courtesy of Debbie Dunn. “The idea is, hopefully, by doing the mock election by practicing voting and looking for information that they’ll feel more confident in their ability to do it when it comes to real life and the real election when they turn 18,” said Mann. “We do have a few seniors who are 18 who are very excited about voting.”  Mann added that the students who are eligible to vote in the election have also expressed nervousness because they understand the weight of responsibility that comes with voting and wanted to be prepared.  On their mock election day, there were voter guides at each computer just in case students wanted to research a ballot measure in real time. Mann said she saw students actively reading through guides and asking questions when they needed help to make sure they understood what they were voting for.   Naomi Smith, a senior student, said she was excited to actively learn about politics and the government. She said normally she would not want to be involved because she thought it would be boring or complicated to understand, but with this opportunity, she was able to understand and prepare herself for life after high school.  “This was a really good opportunity for us to open our eyes to what the world’s going to be like and have the guidance of our teachers in learning this because we’re not going to have that assistance later,” said Naomi Smith.  Her sister Sophie Smith, also a senior student, added by saying it gave students a voice in what their future would look like if they voted, and which side a majority of students were leaning toward.   “What excited me the most was just getting to know the whole process in general, like going and finding the resources,” said senior student Anthony Khachikyan. “So voting in person, whenever the time actually comes in the next election, is not as much of a daunting task.”  Another senior student, Floren Rouboz, said her favorite part of the process was being able to go through the information packet with her teacher to make it easier for when they do not have their guidance.   “You should do your research first, and get your sources and know what you want, and then go vote,” said Rouboz.   Naomi Smith said she noticed how excited everyone was to participate in the mock election, and they appreciated that they got an “I Voted” sticker.   Over 1,200 students in world history, U.S. history, government, and economics classes at Golden Valley High School participated in a student mock election last week. Courtesy of Debbie Dunn. When the election results came in, it showed that 44.7% of students who participated voted for Kamala D. Harris and 38.5% voted for Donald Trump with the other 16.8% voting for third-party candidates.   Other results included:  • 56.4% of students voted for George Whitesides and 43.6% voted for Mike Garcia for U.S. House of Representatives, District 27.  • 55.8% of students voted for Kipp Mueller and 44.2% voted for Suzette Valladares for California State Senate, District 23.   • 52% of students voted for Pilar Schiavo and 48% voted for Patrick Lee Gipson for California State Assembly, District 40.  Mann said it was heartening to see the students take action and be actively engaged in learning how to research and vote.   “Patterns historically show us that young people don’t vote as much as they should, and you know the younger generations are going to very soon be the largest in number, and a lot of the policies that affect young people are made right now,” said Mann.  She said she encourages all students to get out, vote, and fill their responsibility.   The post Golden Valley High School hosts a mock election  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.