Wednesday, October 31, 2018 11:08 am

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - For the second time, the Tennessee Secretary of State's office has sponsored the Student Mock Election. Students from all three grand divisions of the state have cast their votes in the statewide races for Governor and U.S. Senate. These votes reflect who students would have elected as the next Governor and United States Senator of Tennessee if they were old enough to vote in the real election. Over 56,000 students from across the state participated in the 2018 Student Mock Election.

Secretary of State Tre Hargett, along with Senator Brian Kelsey, and Representative Mark White participated in announcing the winners of the statewide Student Mock Election at an event hosted by Germantown Middle School in Shelby County, Tennessee.

In the race for Governor, Bill Lee received 36,458 (65%) votes. Karl Dean received 20,012 (35%) votes.

In the race for U.S. Senate, Marsha Blackburn received 31,507 (57%) votes. Phil Bredesen received 23,819 (43%) votes. Below is how the results submitted prior to October 31st break down across the state.

"The Student Mock Election is a fun and engaging exercise for students to participate in the election process," said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. "This is part of a larger effort to encourage civic involvement by students so it will be a natural progression for them to be involved when they become adults. I am very pleased with the participation from across the state and appreciate the teachers who worked hard to make this possible in the schools."

The Mock Election is open to students in preschool through high school in public and private schools, as well as home school associations. Mock ballots allow students to choose between candidates from both the Republican and Democrat parties for the Gubernatorial and United States Senate races. Schools are also provided with "I Voted" stickers for students that cast a vote in their mock election.

Students may also enter an essay contest that encourages them to think about topics that are important to being an actively engaged citizen. Essay topics are focused on leadership but vary by grade. Schools may submit two essays per grade category. Winner of the essay contest receive a TNStars 529 College Saving Program scholarship worth $100, $250, or $500 in addition to a trip to the State Capitol. The deadline for essay submissions is November 16, 2018.