The momentum of the 2024 election is being felt everywhere, including in social studies classrooms at Holt High School where students participated in a mock presidential debate and election.
Gavin Sykes-McLaughlin is a freshman U.S. History teacher at the school. He said the mock election is a tradition he started back in 2008 in Massachusetts and carried to Holt in 2016.
Sykes-McLaughlin said he encourages all students to participate in the democratic process.
“I really just want these kids to understand the value of every single vote. And I'm always telling kids like, ‘Hey, man, I don't care who you vote for, just vote. Tell your parents to vote.’ This is the one chance that we get to really make a difference in terms of who our leadership is and what the policies are and they’re going to affect our everyday life.”
Leading up to the school’s mock election, students were encouraged to register to vote using either their driver’s license or student ID. They also had the opportunity to listen to 12 of their peers debate and represent presidential candidates from the Republican, Democratic and Green parties.
Students chose to debate on abortion, healthcare, immigration or foreign policy which Sykes-McLaughlin said allows their audience of students to learn each candidate's stance and cast their ballots after being informed.
The results of the mock election on November 4 saw 67% of the vote go to Vice President Kamala Harris. Former President Donald Trump received 29% of votes and Green Party nominee Jill Stein had 3.5% .
Sykes-McLaughlin says the experience is rewarding for students.
“I think the students had a lot of fun today. We talked about the importance of Michigan being a swing state in all of my classes today,” he said. “I think the students took their roles very seriously, and I heard many of them talking excitedly about the results as they left the building today.”