Mock election offers civics lesson
Practice exercise also reveals election mistakes do happen
By MEGAN THOMAS
Express Staff Writer
The mock election held at Wood River High School Thursday, Oct. 14, which was intended to give students the opportunity to express their views on national, state and local issues, also provided an unintentional lesson in civics?mistakes do happen.
Following the announcement of the election results, an error was found that unintentionally reversed the results of the county sheriff race.
?It?s nice in one sense they (Blaine County Election Office) got the error here instead of showing up in the general election,? Principal Graham Hume said.
Five hundred out of the 850 students in the school turned out to vote in a mock election that mirrored the official general election to be held in November. The Blaine County Election Office hosted the event, which was sponsored by the high school?s social studies department.
?In 25 years it has never happened before. We are deeply sorry that it happened,? said Marsha Riemann, Blaine County clerk, auditor and recorder.
The mistake occurred when the code numbers assigned to identify county sheriff candidates Walt Femling, the Republican incumbent, and Jeff Gunter, the Democratic challenger, were the reverse of the numbers assigned to the candidates in the computer program. The county uses the ETNET machine to electronically tabulate punch card votes.
When the votes were originally tallied, Femling was assigned 129 votes, and Gunter received 310 votes.
The presidential election results were announced over the school loud speaker on Friday. All of the other election results, including that of the county sheriff race were distributed to teachers to present in class.
?It was evident from my class, that it (the county sheriff result) was not at all what they expected,? said James Foster, a Wood River High social studies teacher.
After doubt was raised by students, staff and citizens, the ballots were re-examined. A discrepancy between the numbers assigned on the ballots to the sheriff candidates and the corresponding computer codes was found. After re-evaluating the ballots, Femling was assigned 310 votes, and Gunter received 129 votes.
?It was a mistake,? Riemann said.
Riemann explained the county usually proofs the ballots four times. Due to time restraints before the mock election, the student?s ballots were only proofed twice.
?We were in a hurry to get ready for the mock election,? Riemann said.
?There was nothing intentional about it. We should have proofed more carefully,? said Joanna Ehrmantraut, chief deputy auditor, who helped to prepare for the mock election.
After the error was found the high school addressed the mistake on Monday morning. Principal Hume made an announcement over the loudspeaker to correct the mistake.
?I thought it would be fair to both candidates to announce the results,? Hume said. ?I think the students got a taste of how difficult it is to run an election.?
