VOTE IN THE MOCK ELECTION
Every four years citizens of the United States head to the polls to elect their next president. This is an important constitutional right that citizens have in the United States. This country uses a form of government called a Representative Democracy, or Republic. This means that the people of the country vote to elect the people who represent them in government and make decisions for them. However, when George Washington was president, voters were limited to white, landowning, males whose primary concern was the protection of their property. Over the following 200 years sufferage was gradually expanded to all American citizens except minors and convicted felons. Thousands of American women and men have given their lives fighting for the right to vote. That is why it is so important to vote in elections in the United States. Each voter is selecting the person that will be their voice in government. In elections, people vote for all types of positions in government. However, the most popular position that people get excited to vote for is the president.
In the United States many people do not choose to exercise their constitutional right to vote. Some reasons include the feeling that your vote doesn’t matter, do not like the candidates, cannot make it to the polls, and many other reasons. In the 2016 election, only 56% of citizens eligible to vote chose to exercise that right. Because it is so important to vote, we are going to hold a Mock 2020 Election to see who our school would elect for president. Before any important election, voters should research the candidates and see what their beliefs are. Many Americans choose to vote based on political party. There is nothing wrong with this method. However, it is arguably a better decision to research each candidate to see which one mostly resembles your beliefs.
The Candidates - Evaluate the Life Experience and Qualifications of Each Candidate - Click on the Candidates Picture to see his Website
VOTE IN THE MOCK ELECTION
The Issues - Fill in the Candidates' positions on these issues using the information on this page. Click Here for an editable version of this chart.
Topic |
Joe Biden – Democrat |
Donald Trump - Republican |
Climate Change |
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Immigration |
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Health Care |
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Economy and Trade |
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College and Student Debt |
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Gun Rights and Control |
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Coronavirus
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The Media Election Sites - Look for any factual inconsistencies among these sites and try to resolve them with a Fact Checker.
- US News and World Report
- NBC News
- BBC News
- ABC News
- CBS News
- PBS News
- CNN News
- Politico
- New York Times
- The Economist
- Washington Post
- Richmond Times Dispatch
- Time
- Wall Street Journal
- FOX News
- Washington Times
- C-SPAN
- Newsweek
VOTE IN THE MOCK ELECTION
Guide to Voting
Electoral College Explained
Battleground States
Other States
VOTE IN THE MOCK ELECTION
The Electoral College Map:
Go to the website 270towin.com
Fill in the electoral map by predicting who will win each state based on what you learned about the Battleground States and anything you learn from the 270towin site and any educated hunches you might have. You will need to briefly explain why you made the picks you did in the Battleground States. Use your head, not your heart. The goal is to predict the winner.
Click on the map for the Interactive Electoral Map
Fact Checkers
- Politifact
- Fact Check
- Middlebury Libraries
- CNN Facts First
- American University
- University of California at Berkeley
Past Presidential Elections
- Critical Elections (Realignment, Dealignment, and Divided Government)
- Elections that Tested the System
VOTE IN THE MOCK ELECTION
Political Parties
Two Party System
Federalist Era – 1789–1800
Democratic-Republican/Democratic Party Era – 1800-1840
Democrats and Whigs – 1840-1856
Democrats and Republicans – 1856-Present