Though they aren't able to legally vote quite yet, students across the local community made their opinions heard this past Election Day.
Barack Obama was "elected" president after 43,185 local primary school students voted as a part of Kids Voting Western New York. Obama won the Kids Voting race with 65 percent of the total vote, while John McCain received just 31 percent.
Kids Voting WNY is part of a national campaign that provides pre-kindergarten through high school students preparation to become educated and engaged citizens.
"We offer educational pieces and a curriculum that are aligned with New York State and national learning standards, as well as the voting piece that students take part in on election day," said Katie Biggie, coordinator of Kids Voting WNY and the educational outreach coordinator for UB's Center for Educational Collaboration.
Over 150,000 local students took part in the curriculum program this election season, providing students with knowledge about the candidates and the election process.
UB took over the Western New York affiliate in 2006, as a part of UB 2020's Pre-Kindergarten through age 16 effort to advance education.
"We were very pleased with the turnout this year," Biggie said. "Kids Voting is so important for a multitude of reasons. It exposes kids to democracy from an early age, and it gets them into practice with the idea that they have the choice to vote. As they get older, it teaches them about their right and responsibility to vote,"
This was the first year that all students voted through an online system. The voting took place from Oct. 21 until Election Day. Most teachers had students vote within their classrooms as part of the curriculum, but others voted at the polls with parents at the seven locations set up by Kids Voting.
Several international students and volunteers from the Graduates of the Last Decade group helped out at polling locations.
Ashton Hasenstab, a fourth grade student at Fletcher Elementary School in Tonawanda, NY, had a clear idea about who to vote for before she came to the polls.
"They had me go on the computer and pick my school, and then I picked the president and other people too. I voted for Obama...because I like his stuff about education and schools," Hasenstab said.
Mara Hasenstab, a first grade student at Fletcher and Ashton's sister, was excited about participating. She also voted for Obama.
"I voted for him cause I thought he was going to won," Hasenstab said.
Students also voted in several other races determined by their districts and locations, including those for Justice of the Supreme Court, Congress, Senate, State Assembly, Erie County District Attorney, Erie County Family Court Judge, Erie County Judge, Buffalo City Court Judge, and individual village and town council members, justices, and trustees.
Biggie believes that Kids Voting plays an important part in introducing and exposing kids to our country's democratic process.
"It teaches them to be an engaged citizen in their community. It's about opening their eyes to new ways to get involved, not just through voting." Biggie said.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
