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Lansing city clerk hopes Halloween mock ballot takes the fright out of voting

The Lansing City Clerk's Office will use a mock Halloween-themed ballot to teach middle and high school students about the voting process.
Courtesy
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Lansing City Clerk's Office
The Lansing City Clerk's Office will use a mock Halloween-themed ballot to teach middle and high school students about the voting process.

Lansing election officials will hold a mock election Tuesday at Everett High School to help students understand their voting rights.

The students will vote for their favorite Halloween candy from a field of seven.

At the top of the ticket, Jack Skellington, Freddy Fazbear, The Great Pumpkin and Casper the Friendly Ghost are all vying for best Halloween character.

The votes will be tabulated and reported just like a real election.

Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope says it’s a fun way to introduce students to the electoral process.

“I think getting kids involved in our democracy is important,” Swope said. “We do our best to educate people of all ages about their voting rights.”

Swope adds the activity is meant to put students at ease with the voting process.

“And, perhaps if they live in a household where their parents don’t vote, maybe they’ll go home and talk about it and their parents are going to be more likely to start voting,” he said.

The ballot concludes with a single proposal that will ask if Ingham County shall limit any person to no more than 100 pieces of candy on Oct. 31.

Students who will be at least 18 by Nov. 8 will also be able to register to vote at the event.

Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.
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