Norton Students Get into the Election Spirit

Norton students had the opportunity to vote for their choice for the senate and presidential candidates Monday.

“When I first came here to the high school to talk to the civics class, we agreed that we wanted this to be a process that was as closely matched to what the real process was, and that’s exactly what we did,” said Norton Town Clerk Danielle Sicard.

About 85 percent of Norton High School students registered to vote 20 days before the election, checked in and out and voted in a booth. The civics class, with the leadership of their teacher Robb McCoy and Sicard, have gone through a training session, have been sworn in as election workers for this mock election and will be conducting the hand counting and producing a final results report after polls close.  

“I think this is a unique experience not only for the civic students, but for each student who will cast a ballot and gain the experience of what the voting process is like before they go the polls to cast their first real ballot,” Sicard said.

Precinct 1 was represented by 199 freshman. One hundred and sixty three of them registered to vote. Sophomores represented Precinct 2, with 156 out of 161 students registered. Precinct 3 was represented by 163 out of 182 juniors. Seniors represented Precinct 4, with 120 out of 166 students registered. 

“The enthusiasm that the students have that were casting their ballot and the enthusiasm that the civics class had was really phenomenal,” Sicard said.

At Norton High School, Barack Obama and Joe Biden won with 326 votes. Mitt Romney and Ryan garnered 168. Scott Brown won the senate seat with 357 while Elizabeth Warren had 188. Joseph Kennedy III was chosen as the Representative for Congress with 308 votes with Sean Bielat obtaining 155.

The majority of Norton High School students at 432 said ‘yes’ to Question 1. This proposed law would prohibit any motor vehicle manufacturer, starting with model year 2015, from selling or leasing, either directly or through a dealer, a new motor vehicle without allowing the owner to have access to the same diagnostic and repair information made available to the manufacturer’s dealers and in-state authorized repair facilities. Question 2 was almost split, with yes receiving a little over half the votes at 284. This proposed law would allow a physician licensed in Massachusetts to prescribe medication, at a terminally ill patient’s request, to end that patient’s life. The majority of students at 357 approved Question 3, which would eliminate state criminal and civil penalties for the medical use of marijuana by qualifying patients.

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Students at Henri A. Yelle Elementary School also participated in a mock election, with Grade 4 as Precinct 4 and Grade 5 as Precinct 5. On a slip of paper they chose between Obama and Romney and placed their vote in a box that was later tallied.

The mock election at the younger level was a much closer race than the high school's, with Obama being declared the winner with 220 votes against Romney's 199. 

“It’s important to vote because you want to have your opinion of what you want to be a better country,” said 10-year-old Jack Byrne.