News
2020 YLI National Mock Election Officially Opens
In anticipation of the upcoming 2020 General Election, voting in the 2020 Youth Leadership Initiative National Mock Election has officially begun and will continue through October 23. YLI has partnered this year with Win My Vote and America’s Mock Election to host the National Student Mock Election.
With the help of YLI lesson plans, students across the country will familiarize themselves with the presidential candidates and gubernatorial candidates representing their state or territory. Students will use this knowledge to learn more about contemporary political issues and make an informed decision on their candidates of choice. With political polarization on the rise, our lesson plans encourage students to analyze the elections from a bipartisan point of view. YLI Comparing the Candidates lesson plans are “blind,” meaning that students select their preferred policy stances without knowing the candidate or political party attached to it. This requires students to judge the merits of policy proposals objectively, with the goal of exposing students to viewpoints they might not have previously considered. The National Mock Election will serve as a stepping stone on the path for American’s youth to becoming politically-informed citizens.
Win My Vote is a “nonpartisan voter engagement platform designed to bring voters, groups, and candidates together to exchange ideas, discuss important issues, and make decisions about how to vote.” Win My Vote provides students with access to information on a wide range of candidates. It also includes personalized ballots and descriptions of relevant policy proposals influencing the national debate. America’s Mock Election is a nonpartisan organization designed to “advance the American public’s knowledge” about government and to craft “fun, engaging, and exciting educational media content to encourage student voting and civic involvement.” During presidential and midterm elections, America’s Mock Election conducts outreach campaigns to motivate students to become politically-engaged. Both of these organizations have been crucial to the success of the 2020 National Student Mock Election. This Mock Election and the associated YLI lesson plans will foster political participation in classrooms across the nation.
