As the country went to the polls yesterday, Mr Ashcroft led a whole school assembly launching our own ‘mock’ election. The assembly covered how the election process works, who can vote and the ‘first past the post ‘system. Students had to register to vote , this mirrors the real system, whereas yesterday’s voter turnout was down on 2017 at 67.23%, 47% of our students registered to vote. However, as the excitement of actually voting continued throughout the day, many students lamented their loss of a vote and promised to register next time- when, for some, it might be for real!
The student council acted as election officers, checking registrations and issuing ballot papers. Students used cubicles to mark their vote and place their papers into the ballot box. In the whole process we had only one spoiled paper and that was due to uncertainty of what the voter had wanted to indicate. The event culminated in Lydia Allison reading out the results, brilliantly, via the school tannoy system at the end of the day, just as a returning officer would have done.
The result was as close to the real thing as it could have been – Brexit Party 4.8%, Conservatives 53.3%, Liberal Democrats 3.8%, Independent 1.9%, Labour 11.4%, Green party 19%, UKIP 1% and the Yorkshire Party 3.8%
It was a really successful day and helped students to prepare for when they turn 18 and can vote themselves.
British values at their best.
