NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Most students in elementary, middle and high school are not eligible to vote in Tennessee's elections. However, they can still participate in the Tennessee Student Mock Election.
The Secretary of State's Office opened registration for the election. It is meant to be an educational experience that shows students how elected officials are chosen across the state. All students from Pre-K through 12th-grade, from either public, private, or home school associations are welcome to participate.
The Secretary of State's Office will provide schools with printable mock ballots, which students can use to vote in the mock gubernatorial race. They will need to choose between Republican Incumbent Bill Lee and Democrat Nominee Jason Brantley Martin.
Schools will start reporting their mock election results on Oct. 19 — the first day of the state's early-voting period. The final day to submit results will be on Nov. 1.
Then, the Secretary of State's Office will report the results and the winner of the election. In 2020, 262 schools participated and 37,014 students cast a ballot.
Schools that participate in the mock election will also receive "I Voted" stickers, as well as a Tennessee Student Mock Election "I Voted" sign they can use for photos.
Schools that want to sign up for the mock election can register online. The also has materials for lesson plans available online on a variety of topics surrounding the democratic process such as citizenship, campaigning and the voting process.