OLYMPIA – The Office of the Secretary of State is calling on students and teachers across Washington to take part in the 2021 Student Mock Election: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/mock/about-student-mock-election.aspx.

Open now until Nov. 2, the Student Mock Election is a nonpartisan educational initiative that teaches K-12 students how elections work and how to become informed voters. Students have the opportunity to participate in a “mock” election and vote on actual races and measures – including fictional issues pertinent to their daily lives.

Ballots, posters, voters’ pamphlets, and more are available for download and printing: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/mock/teacher-resources.aspx. Other resources include “I Voted” stickers and the curriculum book Teaching Elections in Washington State. The lessons meet state and common-core standards, and satisfy the civics coursework required for graduation. Classroom-based assessments are included with each lesson.

In 2019, legislation went into effect that allows 16- and 17-year-old Washington citizens to sign up as “future voters” and be automatically registered to vote when they turn 18. More information about the Future Voter program, including qualifications and how to register, is available here: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/future-voter-program.aspx.

“The Student Mock Election is a fun and engaging way for students to learn about elections and become more informed and involved citizens,” said Lori Augino, director of elections, Office of the Secretary of State. “Initiatives like the Student Mock Election and the Future Voter program help empower young people to make civic engagement a lifelong habit.”

Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees a number of areas within state government, including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office also manages the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, oversees the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees, and administers the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.

– Office of the Secretary of State