Oct 27, 2008 4:10 pm US/Eastern
NY School's Mock Election Accurate Last 40 Years
Benjamin Franklin Elementary School In Westchester 10-For-10 In Election Predictions
YORKTOWN, N.Y. (CBS) ―
-
-
Presidential hopefuls Sen. Barack Obama, l, and Sen. John McCain.
Justin Sullivan, Robert Spencer/Getty Images
There's a school in northern Westchester with an amazing "win streak." Every four years since 1968, the mock election at Ben Franklin Elementary School has accurately predicted the winner of the presidential race.
At the school named for a great American of the past, future great Americans are carrying on a tradition, studying up on past presidents while somehow managing to figure out who's next.
Since Franklin Elementary opened in the year that Richard Nixon beat Hubert Humphrey, the student mock election has proved to be spot on.
"We have a 10-out-of-10 record since 1968. Of course we're on the line now this year. It puts a little pressure on us," says Tom McAdams, who has taught at the school for each of the "every-four-year elections."
He can't really seem to explain though why Franklin students have been so uncannily accurate.
The Franklin School poll is so accurate that the closest race in its history was the closest race in our history, when George Bush won over Al Gore in 2000.
The school takes this election stuff seriously, even assigning electoral college votes to each classroom. Students say they read up on the issues and discuss with mom and dad before making their choice.
"I voted for Barack Obama because he wants to do something about global warming and he wants to bring troops home in the next two years," says fifth grader Tessa Levan.
Levan's classmate Dylan Black went with the other side, however.
"I voted for John McCain because I think he is a very good role model for our country," he said.
The day-long exercise in Democracy sure seems to wet the students' appetites for the real deal.
"I can't wait 'til I'm 18 so I can vote in a presidential election," said fifth grader Kevin Goehl, who will be able to vote in 2016.
So who won this election at the school?
Obama took the popular vote 53 percent to 47 percent, but McCain won the school version of the electoral college. So if the mock election remains accurate, we're in for an interesting night a week from Tuesday!
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
2009 Celebrity Deaths
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments