Natalie Falconer, 7, looks at photos of John McCain and Barack Obama inside the voting booth before making her decision for president Tuesday at Mississippi Heights Elementary School in Sauk Rapids. (Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)

(November 5, 2008 -- SAUK RAPIDS) — The chatter in the halls of Mississippi Heights Elementary School on Tuesday morning wasn’t your average elementary student chit-chat.

Instead of planning ahead for recess or talking about their favorite after-school shows, students were talking about whom they were going to vote for during the school’s mock election.

“I

Andrew Zeppelin, 7, registers students before they vote Tuesday during a mock presidential election at Mississippi Heights Elementary School in Sauk Rapids. (Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)

hope they gained an understanding of what voting is all about,” principal Jean Clark said.

Two classes at a time entered the school’s makeshift polling area to cast their votes. Students signed their names to register, marked their ballots inside confidential voting booths and dropped their ballots in a box to be tallied.

And, of course, they received a sticker for doing their part.

About 634 kindergartners through fifth-graders participated.

The voting favored Barack Obama over John McCain 357-277.

Even though the ballots only included the two major-party

After signing in with the election judge and getting a ballot, students waited for an open voting booth. (Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)

presidential candidates, Clark said she overheard some students talking in the halls about their preferences for Michele Bachmann or Elwyn Tinklenberg, Al Franken or Norm Coleman.

“They’ve thrown the names around, so they’re somewhat familiar,” volunteer organizer Dorothy Becker said.

There seemed to be a heightened awareness of the candidates and the issues among children this election season, Becker said, which could be attributed to many factors including an abnormally long campaign and increased media attention.

“Adults are even more interested, so they’re hearing more from parents, too,” Becker said.

Second-grade

Students at Mississippi Heights Elementary School in Sauk Rapids wore their stickers proudly Tuesday after voting for their president of choice in a mock election. (Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)

student volunteers Noah Ellerbusch and Samuel Zika debated their political differences between classes of voters — much like two boys would argue who’s better, Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny.

They knowledgeably cited tax policies and personality traits as redeeming qualities for each of their preferred candidates.

Becker said elections should be celebrated like a holiday, just like children recently finished celebrating Halloween and will celebrate Thanksgiving later this month.

“We hope to get them familiar with the idea so they think about voting when they get older,” Becker said.