National Student/Parent Mock Election Collaborates With Other Organizations to Promote Teacher and Student Participation in Mock Election Day November 2, 2006.

   America’s largest voter education program, the National Student/Parent Mock Election, now in its 26th year, is staging its 2006 Mock Election on Nov. 2, five days before the congressional elections.

   John Herklotz of Laguna Hills, Calif., a vice chairman of NSPME, announced that The Hartford Courant will be Mock Election headquarters for votes from all participants, students, parents and teachers in all 50 states and in American schools around the world. Votes will be tabulated by Everyone Counts, an international web voting organization, in cooperation with The Hartford Courant.

   Votes will be cast for governors and senators (where there is a race), all seats in Congress, and on the key national issues of most concern to Americans.

   Just launched, an innovative voter education game, “The Road to the Capitol,” is now accessible at www.nationalmockelection.org/game . The multi-disciplinary game incorporates civics, government, and history lessons, along with language arts in a simulated congressional campaign requiring the “candidates” (students and parents) to become well informed about such issues as the Constitution, the Bill of Rights,landmark Supreme Court cases and famous speeches. Successful players win a seat in Congress.’ At all age levels, the instructional content has been designed to meet the state and national standards for each subject. A Teacher/Parent Guide accompanies the game and home schoolers are encouraged to play as well.

   Established in 1764, The Hartford Courant is the nation’s oldest continuously published newspaper and the most widely read and circulated newspaper in Connecticut. The Courant's Newspaper In Education (NIE) department has been sponsoring student mock elections in Connecticut since 1988.

   In addition to The Courant and Everyone Counts, contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Web voting services and expertise, Herklotz said that other “partners” of the 2006 Mock Election are the National Association of Secretaries of State; the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation; and USA Today.

   “In a time of turmoil, America cannot afford to have the lowest voter turnout of any of the world’s democracies,” Herklotz said.

   “Teachers are the gatekeepers of the future,” he added. “We invite other corporations and foundations to help us fight for the oncoming future.”

   How to Get Involved: Educators and parents can enroll at www.nationalmockelection.org, by mail to the National Student/Parent Mock Election, P.O. Box 36653, Tucson, AZ 85704; by fax to 520-742-3553; or by phone 520-877-VOTE (8683). Free curriculum materials, for grades kindergarten through twelve, are also on the Web site.

   About National Student/Parent Mock Election: The National Student/Parent Mock Election is the nation’s largest and most successful voter education project. Students and parents cast 4,044,885 votes in the last presidential Mock Election; these votes included all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and American schools all around the world. Since the program began 26 years ago, almost 50 million students and parents have participated in the project, with sixty-seven percent of the states now officially partner with the National Student/Parent Mock Election.