The line was out to the door, as voters waited for their turn to cast their vote Monday.  However, this wasn’t early voting here in Austin and Mower. This was voting at Pacelli Catholic Schools, whose students were taking part in a mock vote prior to Tuesday’s General Election. Monday’s voting was part of a statewide initiative through the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office under the YMCA Center for Youth Voice initiative. According to Pacelli Catholic Schools Social Studies teacher Nicholas McGrath, the mock election involved students from kindergarten through 12th grade across the state and is geared toward opening up the act of voting for students when the time comes to cast their actual vote. “Exercise the muscles because if they don’t get used they get weak,” McGrath said as students filed through to the voting booths Monday morning. “If you learn how to vote, you’re more likely to go and vote.” The entire exercise is a replica of what voting actually looks like on election day, down to the specifics of neighborhood and location in town, meaning some students voted for City Council candidates representing the wards their family works in. When students were done, they even received an “I voted” sticker. The voting was also a continuation of what has been talked about in McGrath’s classes, where students have been following the election, the current events surrounding the election and the rhetoric. They are also tracking the election through maps and data and discussing them leading up to the day. Even at the younger grade levels, students were excited to vote even though they may not always understand what or who they are voting for. Part of that process is that students throughout the school are talking to family about these very same things. “That’s a real conversation,” McGrath said. “There’s excitement at the smaller people level. They are excited to voice.” For some students, Monday’s exercise was more than just participating in a mock election. For those students who are 18, this is practice of a sort leading up to the real day where they will cast their first vote. “I’m excited to express my opinion in the vote for the first time,” said Daran Plunkett, who turned 18 on Sept. 19. “It’s helped me learn the environment of voting, voting etiquette and it’s a good simulation.” Logyn Brooks is another Pacelli student who turned 18 in September and has lauded classroom efforts to help students navigate the voting map when it comes time to cast his ballot. “Doing this little function has given me a brief understanding of what voting will be like so I can understand what I’m voting for and who I’m voting for,” Brooks said.  At the same time, he said it’s important for the older students to set an example for the younger students. “You’ve got to set an example so they know what to expect,” he said. “We need to make it the best environment we can for them.” An important piece of this end game for students is simply being familiar with the process of voting and encouraging students to be an active participant in the process. On Sept. 15, the school held a registration event to get 18-year-old students on the voter rolls as well as getting 15 and 16-year-olds pre-registered so they are ready when they turn 18.  “Knowledge is power,” McGrath said. “A lot of students have followed this day to day. The kids are well aware of what’s going on. The more they know the more it creates questions.” Polls in Austin open at 7 a.m. Tuesday and close at 8 p.m. For more on area in-person voting, visit: https://www.co.mower.mn.us/1603/2024-State-General-Election. The post Mock vote at Pacelli involves students in the process appeared first on Austin Daily Herald.