The candidates on the students’ ballots included fictional Marvel characters this year, and although they may not have been real, the process gave students an opportunity to become familiar with what they may encounter when they eventually cast their first official ballot. Photo courtesy of San Juan Unified School District

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - For students at Mesa Verde High School, learning about elections means doing more than reading about the voting process in a textbook.

Students had the chance to step into a mock polling place, where they received a ballot, reviewed their choices and cast their votes as part of a hands-on mock election designed to give them experience with the process before they are old enough to participate in an actual election.

The activity, organized in partnership with Sacramento County Voter Registration and Elections, was part of Mesa Verde's Constitution Week, which gave students several opportunities to explore government, civic participation and the role their voices can play in their communities.

“It mirrors the actual voting process in that they come into a polling place, they get their ballot, they fill it out and they put it right into the bin,” said Travis Miller, social studies teacher at Mesa Verde.

The candidates on the students’ ballots included fictional Marvel characters this year, and although they may not have been real, the process gave students an opportunity to become familiar with what they may encounter when they eventually cast their first official ballot.

For 12th grader Kendall, the experience felt like a “warm-up” for voting in the future.

“It's giving us that experience,” Kendall said. “I had the idea of what it's going to be like, how the process is going to be, how the papers are going to look, all that.”

Kendall said participating also made the voting process feel more approachable.

“I thought it was going to be a little more complicated than really what it is,” Kendall said. “I think it's just reading over it and understanding.”

The activity, organized in partnership with Sacramento County Voter Registration and Elections and was part of Mesa Verde's Constitution Week. Photo courtesy of San Juan Unified School District

Eleventh-grader Jayda had a similar takeaway.

“It's made me realize that it's much easier than it appears to be,” Jayda said. “I feel like it's always sounded much harder growing up. And now that I'm of age and I just learned how to do it, it's easier than it seems.”

In addition to participating in the mock election, eligible students had an opportunity to pre-register to vote. In California, eligible 16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register before they are old enough to cast a ballot, with their voter registration becoming active once they turn 18.

Mesa Verde is one of several San Juan Unified high schools providing students with opportunities to learn about elections and civic participation this fall. Across the district, schools are incorporating voter registration and pre-registration, mock elections and classroom lessons about voting and civic responsibility.

Activities vary by school, with students at sites including Rio Americano High School and Mira Loma High School participating in voter registration drives, while El Camino Fundamental High School and Mira Loma are also hosting mock elections. At other high schools, government and social science teachers are incorporating voter registration, current elections and civic responsibility into classroom learning.

Miller said giving students opportunities to practice civic participation is an important part of helping them understand the role they can play in their communities.

“I don't care how you vote. I just want you to vote,” Miller said. “Democracy is a verb. And if you don't practice it, you're not going to be good at it, and your voice does matter.”