Sen. Vitelli joins Secretary Bellows, attends 2024 Maine Student Mock Election at Mt. Ararat High School

Posted: October 29, 2024 | Senator Vitelli

TOPSHAM – On Tuesday, October 29, Sen. Eloise Vitell, D-Arrowsic, joined Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows for the 2024 Maine Student Mock Election at Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham. The Can We? Project, along with special education and social studies students, sponsored and staffed the event. The Town of Topsham provided voting booths to simulate the electoral process.

“In Maine, we have a proud tradition of participating in our elections, often resulting in some of the highest voter turnout rates in the country,” said Sen. Vitelli. “It is critical that students, even at a younger age, begin to learn about their rights to vote. The sooner they start thinking about voting, the better prepared they will be to pre-register, register, and – ultimately – vote. When people start voting at a younger age, we set them up for a healthy, lifelong civic habit that allows them to exercise their rights and make their voices heard. At the end of the day, it is all about helping students develop into good citizens.”

The 2024 Maine Student Mock Election took place on October 29, 2024. In 2022, more than 19,530 students from 116 schools participated in the program, simulating the gubernatorial election. In 2024, 138 schools across Maine are participating in the 2024 Maine Student Mock Election. It is an opportunity to bring civics and currents events into the classroom.

To learn more and view the results from the 2024 Maine Student Mock Election, visit www.maine.gov/sos/kids/mockelection/index.html.

The Can We? Project works directly with cohorts of students and teachers in partner schools across Maine. Its mission is to foster a culture civil dialogue and civic engagement. It offers a series of retreats that provide opportunities for students to develop the mindset and skills necessary for dialogue across political and other differences.

For more information about The Can We? Project, contact John Holdridge at jholdridge@waynflete.org.

On. Tuesday, Nov. 5, registered voters in Topsham will cast their ballots for the General Election and Municipal Election in the gymnasium at Mt. Ararat High School, located at 68 Eagles Way. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. So far, according to Secretary Bellows, Mainers have returned over 200,000 absentee ballots to their municipal clerks statewide.

From left to right: Mt. Ararat High School Junior Isla Drewette-Card, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Mt. Ararat High School Principal Chris Hoffman, Senator Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, Mt. Ararat High School Teacher Reilly Fitzgerald, and Mt. Ararat High School Junior Brooke Moore
Senator Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, and Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows speak about the importance of voting. In the last election, Maine had a voter turnout rate of 62.5%, which was the highest in the nation.
Senator Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, and Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows inspect the paper ballots and voting booths, the latter provided by the Town of Topsham, at the 2024 Maine Student Mock Election at Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham. By midday, voter turnout reached 50% of the student body, which is approximately 720 students.

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