Who Did Westfield Students Vote For In The 2016 Presidential Election?

WESTFIELD, NJ — The Presidential election started early in Westfield when Tamaques Elementary school students in grades 1 – 5 cast their ballots on Monday, Nov. 7.

Leading up to the mock election, teachers were provided with technology resources and references to facilitate lessons and class discussions on the country’s voting process and ideals.

On the day of the mock election, the library was converted into a student polling station complete with registration check-in stations, voting booths, a ballot box, and voting keepsakes – stickers saying “I voted.”

Once the students approached the library/poll location with their class, they individually were checked in by parent volunteers, provided a paper ballot, and escorted to a voting booth where they filled it in behind a screened partition. After marking their choice for president on the ballot, they exited the booth and placed the paper in the ballot box.

"I am excited to be able to vote like my parents get to do,” said fifth grader Anna Robertson. “This is the popular vote.”

All of the more than 400 student ballots were collected and processed by the fifth graders for counting and verification, followed by Tamaques Principal, David Duelks, announcing that the majority of the votes were cast for Hillary Clinton.

The mock election was organized by fifth grade teachers Marisa Truselo and Victor Alfonso in collaboration with the school’s faculty, staff and PTO, and Principal David Duelks and Westfield Social Studies Supervisor K-12, Andrea Brennan.

Alfonso greeted all the students in the gym prior to the start of the mock election to explain the voting process and to introduce the candidates – parents who were disguised as Secretary Clinton and Mr. Trump.

“We thought having two parents from the community pose as the candidates to meet and greet the students would serve as a visual reference,” explained Alfonso.

A very visible display of the students’ citizen involvement is the huge bulletin board in the main lobby of Tamaques School entitled “If I Were President, I Would. . .” Tacked to the board are dozens of folders from each class with individual student’s ideas of what he or she would do as President of the United States.

“Overall, it was a special experience for all, and the school looks forward to repeating the process in another four years,” stated Alfonso.

— By Lorre Korecky

(Photos provided)

Photo 1 - Tamaques Elementary School 5th grader Anna Robertson casts her ballot in the mock presidential election held on November 7, while Westfield teachers and election coordinators Victor Alfonso and Marisa Truselo look on with Principal David Duelks.

Photo 2, 3 - Westfield parents volunteered at sign-in tables and voting booths during the mock presidential election at Tamaques Elementary School on November 7.

Photo 4, 5 - Tamaques Principal, Social Studies teachers and Supervisor and parent volunteers pose in front of the school’s bulletin board displaying students’ written views on “If I Were President, I Would. . .”

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