Political fever was all the rage at Huntley High School as the school held a student and faculty-wide mock primary on Monday, March 14, one day before the Illinois polls were set to open.
Students of all grade levels and staff from across the building were encouraged to cast their ballot on Haiku from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., mimicking real poll times. Social studies teacher Nathan Schmitt wanted to make the voting as real as possible.
“As the AP Government teacher, I was very excited to see how people at the High School would vote,” said Schmitt. “I also wanted to see how we would compare to the state vote.”
Schmitt predicted a strong turnout for Bernie Sanders, attributing this to the Vermont senator’s free college platform.
The poll received 297 responses, including 83 staff members, 31 seniors, 72 juniors, 44 sophomores, and 67 freshmen. Schmitt was disappointed in the turnout, as HHS houses almost 3,000 students and faculty members.
Sanders claimed the most votes, earning 51 percent. Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump tied at 18 percent apiece, followed by Ted Cruz at 7 percent. Florida senator Marco Rubio and Ohio governor John Kasich came in at 6 percent and 4 percent respectively.
Though the turnout was disheartening to Schmitt, he acknowledged the importance of voting.
“[Voting] is one of the most essential freedoms and powers we have,” said Schmitt. “The fact that people don’t do it essentially silences their voice in government.”
Senior Lexi Lowitzki also agrees that voting is essential to a democratic society.
“It’s important to raise your voice and let the people in charge know what you want,” said Lowitzki.
On a larger scale, Republican frontrunner Trump and Democratic favorite Clinton continued to lead the pack on the way to their respective parties’ nominations on Super Tuesday Part 2, featuring primaries in North Carolina, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, and Florida.
Trump reigned victorious in North Carolina, Illinois, and Florida. Kasich took home his home state of Ohio. The winner of Missouri, however, is still unclear; Trump and Cruz are virtually tied. Ballots are still being counted, and Trump leads Cruz by a mere 3,000 votes. Rubio’s failure to capture his home state prompted the suspension of his campaign, losing to Trump by a staggering 18 points.
On the Democratic side, Clinton steamrolled Sanders, winning Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois, and Florida with relative ease. However, the situation in Missouri is quite similar to that of the Republicans. Clinton and Sanders are neck and neck, and the results of the voting are not expected until the end of the week.
The next round of primaries are set for Tuesday, March 22 in Arizona, Idaho, and Utah.