The 2024 Casady Mock Election!
Hope Fahler (‘26), Campus News Editor
On November 5th, Americans voted in the 2024 national election. That same day, Casady Upper Division students voted in their own mock election. This election, organized by Dr. Harp’s U.S. Government and Politics class and Dr. Bishop’s American Elections class, helped students to learn more about the voting process while making decisions on real world issues.
This process began over two months before the election with Dr. Harp and Dr. Bishop checking for administration approval. Then, they presented the project to their classes, who were split into six groups. Each group was in charge of a different aspect of the election, including deciding the questions and candidates for the ballot, encouraging voter turnout, and planning the overall logistics. Each student researched and wrote their own paper before presenting group presentations to their classmates.
Next, the students went to work implementing their ideas. One group picked which races were important enough to put on the ballot, while another group created posters and presentations to promote the election. Yet another group planned when, where, and how voter registration and voting would take place.
Pippa Netreba’s (‘26) group was in charge of creating and choosing questions for the ballot. They researched the two state questions that Oklahomans were voting on and proposed hypothetical questions specific to Casady. After receiving approval, the group gathered signatures to get the questions onto the ballot.
“It was kind of surreal figuring out how much work actually goes into the election,” Netreba says. “It was really great to finish it. I really got a sense of what the people who design the ballot… actually do.”
The students who organized the mock election were not the only ones who gained a clearer understanding of how voting actually works. Sutton Fraley (‘26) says, “It definitely opened my eyes to all of the different things that Americans vote for.” After hearing about the upcoming election, Fraley was prompted to research the candidates and state questions more. “Before,” she explains, “I had no idea. I knew nothing about them.”
In the election, 220 students and teachers voted, totaling in a 58 percent voter turnout. For the presidential race, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz won by a large margin with 62.3 percent of the vote. Kendra Horn won the U.S. House seat for District 5, and Wayland Cubit narrowly won County Sheriff. All of these differed from the actual election results. The race for the Oklahoma House seat from District 85 was the only race in which Casady students and Oklahomans made the same decision, both choosing Cyndi Munson.
There is likely a multitude of reasons for Casady students to choose differently than overall Americans, specifically Oklahomans. Dr. Bishop explains that possible reasons include Casady’s younger demographic and the fact that most students’ families especially value education.
As for the state questions, both State Question 833 and 834, concerning district municipalities and citizen requirements for voting respectively, passed by large margins in the Casady election, while only State Question 834 passed in Oklahoma.
Many students were especially excited about the Casady questions, which had the biggest impact on them personally. While these questions were only hypothetical, students hope the administration takes their answers into consideration. The first question concerning whether Casady Upper Division should switch to a uniform was voted no by 69.1 percent of students. The next question, which sought to switch juniors to four off-campus lunches a month, received an 82.5 percent yes vote, and the final question on opening buildings earlier on Wednesday mornings had the most support of any question on the ballot, with 93.1 percent of voters choosing yes.
Dr. Bishop is hopeful that the questions students voted yes on will be implemented. “Talking to Mr. Addington, he definitely seemed open to the possibility,” he says. “Hopefully that could happen and give people the feeling that their voice is being heard.”
Regardless of who or what they voted for, students used the mock election to learn more about the election process and share their voices, which will prepare them to be active citizens in future elections.
