The polls have closed and the numbers are in: President George W. Bush has won re-election and will hold office for another four years. According to CNN news sources over 59 million Americans over the age of 18 voted.

But what about the US citizens under 18? Although these students are not old enough to vote, they still have very strong opinions. Recently schools nation-wide, from kindergarten to high school held a ‘mock election’. The Palo Alto Unified School District, was one of many districts throughout the U.S. who had the opportunity to participate in the polls.

"I believe that it was a good opportunity for students because it helps them to see what it is like to vote," Paly history teacher Grant Blackburn said. "It’s also a good way to see how other High Schools vote, compared to us."

Students at Paly voted on Oct. 27 and 28 in history classes, as part of the ‘National Mock Election’.

"I thought it was a good experience because students welcomed the chance to express an opinion," history teacher Suzanne Stuart said. "We’re pleased that a national organization would incorporate our vote." The mock election gave students, who normally are not old enough to vote, the opportunity to voice their opinions on national and local issues.

The results to the mock election show that students and adults have a lot in common. Fifty percent of student’s nation-wide agreed that Bush should serve as President for another term. Forty-Two percent of the students who participated in the election showed support for Senator John Kerry. The remaining votes were divided between the third party candidates.

"I think that the results were a surprise and were not a surprise, for two reasons," Blackburn said. "I think they are a surprise because young people tend to vote as democrats. However, I feel it was not surprising because young people also tend to vote like their parents."

Despite the national support Paly students showed their support for Kerry with large numbers. Although not all students at Paly voted, a huge majority of students, 1,019 out of 1,308 chose Kerry. Bush received 218 votes. These results have changed dramatically since the last time students were polled by Verde Magazine during the week of Oct. 20. The results in the magazine show that fifty percent of the students would choose to vote democrat, while only fifteen percent would choose to vote republican. The democratic vote increased by twenty-seven percent, while the republican vote increased by two percent. The rest of the votes, 71, were divided among third party candidates.

Junior Emily Haber’s vote went to David Cobb, green party candidate. Haber was not surprised by the voting turnout. "The fact that Kerry won at Paly doesn’t surprised me," Haber said. "It’s considered to be a very liberal area, and the results are no shock."

Paly students were right on target with many of the local campaign results. Seventy-seven percent of Paly students chose to re-elect Barbara Boxer as U.S Senate. No other candidate came close. This reflects the opinion of fifty-three percent of registered California voters who voted Boxer back into office for her third term. Paly students also agreed with California voters who voted Boxer back into office for her third term. Paly students also agreed with California voters on Proposition 60, which would keep the current system e have for putting candidates on the ballet by electing them according to there party. Proposition 61, which would sell seven hundred and fifty million dollars in general obligation bonds, to expand and re-construct children’s hospitals throughout California.

Senior Alex Gibson is one of many Paly seniors who will turn 18 shortly following the election, missing the chance to vote by only a few short days. "It’s disappointing that I only missed voting in the election by 12 days," Gibson said. "But the mock election still gave me the opportunity to voice my opinion."

The mock election was all in all a big success. It gave students a chance to voice their political opinions, and show support for the candidates and measures of their choice.

"Personally, I think that the mock election was useful in gauging what Paly students felt regarding the election," junior Karishma Oza said. "It’s nice to see how our generation would have voted if they could have. Also, it shows us hot we compare to students in other states."