Students elect Trump, Pingree, Poliquin in 2016 Mock Election

AUGUSTA - Students from more than 155 Maine schools chose Donald Trump for U.S. president in Student Mock Election results tallied today in Augusta.

The voting has been underway at Maine schools since October, for the offices of President and U.S. House of Representatives, as well as the six statewide referendum questions. Students voted in favor of all the referendum questions and the bond question, with the exception of Question 1, which would legalize recreational use of marijuana. Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin won the student vote for the U.S. Representative to Congress seats. Full results can be viewed online at http://www.maine.gov/mockelection/ .

Voting culminated today at the Augusta Armory with the "Rally and Tally" event, which gives students an opportunity to collect election results by phone and via the Internet, and report statewide results to the national mock election, as well as to hear from actual candidates for office.

The event is hosted by the Department of the Secretary of State and featured WCSH News Center anchor Katie Bavoso as emcee. Several candidates and party representatives took the stage to address students, along with Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap. Governor Paul R. LePage also met with students during the event.

The following schools took part in the Rally and Tally event: Adams School, Castine; Calais Middle-High School, Calais; Cony Middle School, Augusta; Erskine Academy, China; Fort Kent Community High School, Fort Kent; Maple Tree Community School, Readfield; Mast Landing School, Freeport; Mt. View Middle School, Thorndike; Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, Paris; Sacopee Valley High School, Hiram; Sebago Elementary School, Sebago; Walker Memorial School, Liberty; Windsor Elementary School, Windsor; Maine Virtual Academy, Augusta.

The mock election program engages students in election-related activities, reinforcing the importance of participation in the democratic process. Statewide results are being provided to the national mock election program for inclusion in national results. For more information about the mock election, visit http://www.maine.gov/sos/kids/mockelection/index.html .