On Tuesday November 6, eighth graders at Benicia Middle School got some practice in the fine art of electioneering and a practical lesson in differentiating between the popular vote and the electoral vote.
Students were assigned to different states where they cast their vote for president with the state outcomes determining how the electoral votes would be cast.
While there was no smoky back room there was some wheeling and dealing going on as kids vied to become electors and earn the right to announce how their state’s electoral votes would be cast.
A candidate for president needs to 270 electoral votes in order to win the election. Each state has as many electoral votes as it has members of congress. The students learned how a candidate can win the popular vote and lose the election.
“I think the electoral college should be disbanded,” said Aaron Franke. “I think all votes should count equally.” Franke’s opinion about the electoral college was shared by many of his classmates regardless of which candidate they preferred.
The voting produced a few surprises like Kansas and Oklahoma breaking for President Obama and Washington, D.C. and Rhode Island supporting Romney.
The biggest surprise though was when the 38 electoral votes from the State of Texas pushed President Obama over the magic 270 number.
The eighth graders in Benicia Middle School are now 1 for 1 in predicting who will be elected president.
Do you agree with a large number of eighth graders at Benicia Middle School that the country should do away with the electoral college? Tell us in comments.
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