Palo Alto High School’s newspaper, The Campanile, will hold a mock election during lunch tomorrow and Wednesday on the quad.

Students will choose from five presidential candidates for the 2008 election: Democratic nominee Barack Obama, Republican nominee John McCain, Green Party nominee Cynthia McKinney, Libertarian nominee Bob Barr, and independent candidate Ralph Nader. In addition, voters will vote on Propositions Four, Seven, Eight, and 10, as well as Measure N.

Prop. 4, or the Abortion Waiting Period and Parental Notification Initiative, would amend the California constitution, and prohibit abortion for minors until 48 hours after the minor’s physician notifies his or her legal guardian. California Prop. 7 would require utilities to produce half of the state’s energy from renewable sources by 2025. In addition, the proposition would require state utilities to purchase more electricity produced by renewable sources. Prop. 8, called Eliminate Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry, would also amend the California constitution. Measure N would provide a $76 million Palo Alto library bond in November.

The mock election will be an opportunity for students to express their opinions about important issues concerning this year’s presidential election, according to Campanile editors-in-chief Michael Hamada and Gloria Yu.

“This is a very hot election year and many students are able to vote,” Yu said. “But more than that, teen involvement is phenomenal in this election.”

The Campanile staff will also prepare informational flyers, which will be provided at a booth set up next to the voting table. Before voting, students are encouraged to learn more about the election topics by visiting the booth.

“So many of us aren’t at the voting age yet,” Hamada said. “This [the mock election] is going to show what we think as young Americans.”

Yu also hopes that the mock election will be an educational experience for students.

“This is our [The Campanile’s] contribution to the presidential election, publicizing and educating people who don’t know too much about it,” Yu said.

In a mock primary election held by the Paly chapter of Junior Statesmen of America last year, Sen. Obama won the Democratic race, beating his opponent Sen. Hillary Clinton by 75 percent. Sen. McCain won the republican race, claiming 41.7 percent of the vote.

The Campanile will publish results from the election in their next issue, which will be released on Oct. 20.