Students try new voting machines
It may just be deciding Anderson County High School Student Government Association officials, but for ACHS students, it was a chance to see how the upcoming presidential election will look.
ACHS students during lunch break crowded into the library, signed in, then used Anderson County Election Commission’s current voting machines to vote for Student Government vice president and president. The machines also included a mock election between Joe Biden, Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Some of the students who will be old enough for the upcoming general election, which is likely to include those three candidates and more for president, registered to vote at another table.
The event was the idea of Marsha Livingston, legislative chair of Anderson County Clinton Retired Teachers Association.
“It’s so sad to me that young people don’t vote,” she said. So, she talked to Mark Stephens the Anderson County Elections administrator, about holding an election for student government using the same new
voting machines voters will use for county, municipal, state, federal
and presidential elections.
ACHS French teacher Kayla Watson came up with the idea of including a mock election of presidential candidates on the student ballot to help students practice. She put the event together and spoke of its importance.
“It will get them familiar with the voting process so that they’re not intimidated by it,” she said. “I know the first time I was voting I did not know what I was doing.”
Among the people present at the event were the two candidates for SGA president. Both spoke of their hopes.
“I’m just super excited,” said Ava Williams. “Everyone’s going to have a good school spirit,” she said of her possible future time as SGA president.
“I think it would be really cool if I won,” said C.J. Cozart, the other SGA presidential candidate. He also praised the event.
“I think it’s super cool, and I think it’s a great experience,” he said regarding how the event taught him and others about elections. “Even the line, the wait in line.”
The county has used its new voting machines for the primary election on March 5 and will use them again for the county election and senate primary Aug. 1 and the presidential, federal, state and municipal general election Nov. 5. Stevens said the new machines, unlike older ones, have a paper trail as required by state law.