Romney Carries River Valley School by Two Votes

Who says your vote doesn’t count?

Gov. Mitt Romney squeaked past President Obama by two votes in a mock election at River Valley School Tuesday.

Students cast their votes in a mock Presidential election in which third-graders chose Barack Obama 51 to 49 percent, while fourth-grade voters picked Mitt Romney by approximately the same percentage.

But when actual votes by both grades were combined, the totals broke down to 49.8 percent for Obama and 50.2 percent for Romney, giving the win to the former governor of Massachusetts.

Like their adult counterparts, the young voters stood in line, checked in with a fellow student who served as an election judge, then sat in a voting booth and made their choices electronically.

One third-grade student was home sick today but wanted to be sure to cast her vote – so she sent an absentee ballot to school.

River Valley Principal Debra Lynch said students have been studying the Presidential race for the last couple of weeks so they would be able to make informed decisions when it came time to vote.

The students voted via electronic responders, which they use for taking tests and quizzes, Lynch explained.

“They use responders all the time,” the principal said. “They know how to use and handle them.”

And how did the students feel about “casting their votes” for the next President of the United States?

“A teacher told me the kids were more excited today than they were for Halloween,” Lynch said with a laugh.