As California voters headed to polls Tuesday in the state’s presidential primary vote, the Paly chapter of the Junior Statesmen of America is holding a school-wide mock election so that all students, even those not legally eligible, can cast a ballot.

The mock election, held in the quad, allowed students to choose one of the major candidates from either the Republican or Democratic parties for the presidential nomination. It also requested students’ vote for or against state propositions 91-97.

The JSA counted ballots cast at brunch and posted the results at the polls for the lunchtime voting. In the early totals, Representative Ron Paul is winning the race for the Republican nomination with 55.6 percent of Republican votes and Illinois senator Barack Obama holds a commanding 74.5 percent lead for the Democratic nomination over New York Senator Hillary Clinton.

The brunch numbers also showed differences of opinion over the state propositions. More than 60% of Paly voters have so far approved propositions 91 and 92. But voters were split evenly on Proposition 93, which restructures term limits for state legislators. Voters had so far opposed propositions 94, 95, 96 and 97 which concern Native American casino gaming rights, with 54 percent of ballots cast against the measures.

“We’re putting them on here because state issues matter,” said JSA chief-of-staff Jonathan Shan. “Some people feel they are not as important [as the presidential candidates] but they are.”

The JSA is also providing voters with a chart listing each candidate’s position on 25 major issues in the 2008 campaign, ranging from abortion to imposing sanctions on Iran. The chart, created by 2decide.com, is a “general guideline” to candidate’s positions based on their past legislative decisions and comments along the campaign trail.

“We trust them [2decide.com],” Shan said. “They have credible sources to back up their facts.”

Continuous coverage of the close primary races on the national level has recently led to more political activity on campus. Many students wore T-shirts and buttons in support of their candidate and held supportive signs near the student polls. Senior Rajan Narang has even formed a club in support of a candidate, bringing a chapter of Students for Barack Obama to Paly.

“This election has the potential to have the greatest political changes of our lives,” Narang said. “I felt the Obama campaign needed a presence here.”

Most students were glad that the mock elections allowed all students give their opinion about state and national issues, especially since some students are not yet old enough.

“The voice of the people must ring from the towers of the tower building to the cellars of P4,” senior Tyler Blake said.

Shan said the ballots must be hand-counted and that results will be released before Feb. 8.