Well, folks, the verdict is in: our kids have cast their votes, and it’s Hillary Clinton for president! In Nickelodeon’s 2016 Kids Pick The President mock election, the Democratic nominee triumphed with 53% of the youthful support, leaving Donald Trump in the dust with 36% and Libertarian Gary Johnson snagging 11%. It seems like the future is bright with these little geniuses leading the charge.
From October 28 to November 5, a whopping 905,928 kids logged on to voice their preferences. According to Nickelodeon, the Kids Pick The President initiative aims to “amplify kids’ voices and opinions and raise their awareness of the electoral process.” Notably, children have accurately predicted the U.S. president in six of the last seven elections—only stumbling in 2004 when they leaned toward John Kerry instead of George W. Bush.
While the rest of the nation was gearing up for Election Day, Clinton was busy winning over the youth vote in various mock elections nationwide. She also clinched the Scholastic Student Vote with 52% of the ballots. You know Scholastic—those champions of reading that host those epic book fairs. Their presidential election serves as an educational experience for students to express their opinions about the electoral race.
In the Scholastic election, Clinton excelled in crucial battleground states like Arizona, Florida, and Michigan. She even garnered support from kids in traditionally red states such as Texas and Utah. However, there was a notable decline in participation this year—only 153,000 students voted, compared to nearly a quarter million in 2012. Many teachers found it hard to discuss the election’s contentious nature in the classroom. “We’ve had a couple of teachers write us and say they feel so uncomfortable with the tenor of the election that they just don’t feel they can cover it,” shared Sarah Mitchell, editorial director at Scholastic Newsmagazines.
It’s no surprise, given the challenges of explaining a campaign rife with negativity to kids whom we teach to be kind, respectful, and decent human beings. The good news? This circus of an election will soon come to a close. Just remember to cast your vote! And if you’re worried about juggling everything with the kiddos, many YMCA locations are offering free childcare on Election Day.
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In summary, children have spoken loud and clear in Nickelodeon’s Kids Pick The President poll, favoring Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump, while reflecting the trends of previous elections. However, a decrease in student participation highlights the challenges teachers face in addressing the current political climate.