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Sarasota County students choose President Bush
in 2004 mock elections

SARASOTA, Fl, Nov 2, 2004 – Sarasota County High School students, voting on the county’s touch screen voting machines in a mock election the week of Oct 25-29, selected George W. Bush to be U.S. president by a margin of 169 votes.

President Bush received 2107 votes to 1938 for Democratic challenger John Kerry. The Reform Party candidate Ralph Nader received 314 votes.

The nearly 4,500 students, who participated in the 2004 mock election, had the opportunity to choose a president, a U.S. senator and a U.S. congresswoman and to vote “yes” or “no” on three ballot questions.

In the U.S. Senate race, students chose the Republican candidate Mel Martinez by a 261 vote margin. Mr. Martinez received 2128 votes compared to 1867 for Democratic candidate Betty Castor and 232 for the Veterans Party candidate Dennis Bradley

Congresswoman Katherine Harris was selected to return to the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating Democratic candidate Jan Schneider by a 2239 to 1731 vote.

The three ballot questions all passed or failed by substantial margins.
• Reinstatement of the draft was rejectd by a vote of 3754 to 654.
• Charging for use of the skateboard park was rejected 3025 to 1374.
• Lowering the voting age to 16 was defeated 2504 to 1925.

Students from Booker, Cyesis, North Port, Pine View, Riverview, Sarasota, Sarasota Military Academy, Venice, and West Coast School for Human Development participated in the mock election, many voting for the first time on the county’s touch screen voting machines.

“I think that the number of participants in the mock election shows that even students who are not yet eligible to vote can be inspired by the issues and the process,” Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent said. “I am especially grateful to the school district and the teachers who supported this exercise, which engaged students through experienced-based education to make choices and learn about the voting process,” Ms. Dent added.

The mock election was organized by the SOE in cooperation with the school district, Community Youth Development, and the League of Women Voters of Sarasota County.