Student mock election set for November 3

Nevada students from grade school through high school will vote in a mock election just a few days before the November 8 General Election.

“We’re hoping we can get over 100,000 students involved in this,” said Wayne Thorley, elections deputy to the Secretary of State’s office.

The election day vote is set for November 3 but Justus Wendland, who’s managing the program, said there will also be an early voting period starting two weeks before that date.

The results, he said, will be released November 3 and should give interested people a preview of what will happen in the real election.

He said the purpose of the mock election is to familiarize students with the process and encourage them to register and vote once they’re old enough to be eligible.

Thorley said the mock elections will be held primarily in schools across the state over the course of the two week period and, hopefully, “get students talking about the issues.”

Wendland said the program isn’t limited to the schools. He said any community groups interested in getting students to participate can do so through the Student Mock Election website at www.youthvote.nv.gov.

Thorley also told the Election Task Force meeting four ballot questions have now qualified for the statewide ballot.

They’re the statutory changes that would mandate background checks for all gun purchases except a few such as family gifts, the question asking voters to legalize recreational marijuana use and the constitutional amendments proposed by Nevada Choice that would deregulate the energy market and the change exempting durable medical equipment form the sales tax.