Orange City, Iowa (KTIV-TV/KIWA)– Students from more than 350 schools participated in the Iowa Youth Straw Poll on Tuesday, among them the students at Orange City Christian School.
The poll is to help teach Iowa students about elections and is part of the “Elections 101” curriculum developed by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate. Students pick their preferred presidential and congressional candidates. Pate says the straw poll provides a hands-on educational experience for the students.
Social Studies Teacher Randy Hilbelink says the school put up a “Wall of Decisions” to help students learn about all of the different candidates on the ballot. He says the wall helps students know about each candidate’s stance on different issues, so it’s easier for them to make a decision.
Student Madison Hoogland says the experience helps them to think about the issues and make their own decisions.
(as said:) “I think a lot of times people like our age, we’d vote the way our parents would vote and doing like this kind of helps us learn like the stances on what they believe in and then it helps us make our decisions on our own instead of what our parents would necessarily do.”
Student Isaiah Van Maanen says it gives them some real-world experience.
(as said:) “I think it’s good. So then the younger generation they can like learn how to vote and know what it’s all about.”
Mr. Hilbelink says he’s proud of the students who took part and their level of participation.
(as said:) “I am very impressed with my kids and how enthusiastic they are about voting today. Many of them too wore red, white, and blue today because they knew it was election day.”
The school had more than 150 students participate in the straw poll. The youngest voters were 4th graders.
The statewide results had Trump/Pence winning by 55 percent to Biden/Harris’s 32 percent in Iowa. For the full results, click here.
Thanks to KTIV-TV for the photo, the audio, and most of the writing of this story.
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