By Thuy Nguyen (Class of 2022)

The 6^th of November was the United States midterm elections. As many voters anticipated the results, so did the students of Developing Virtue Girls School (DVGS). This year, DVGSers participated in the statewide mock elections. This election took place a few weeks leading up to the official elections. Therefore, students researched official candidates and propositions, allowing them to have a very realistic voting experience. The votes were tallied and reported to the California Secretary of State (https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/student-mock-election/). Mock elections like this one allow for students to explore their opinions on current political issues and candidates.

The school was guided in this experience by the Freshmen class and their Ethics teachers, Ms. Justice and Ms. Lee. The 7^th-12^th grade girls school students were given brief introductions to the candidates and propositions, and the information was also posted on the bulletin board on the days leading up to the election.

Midterm elections take place every four years, two years after every presidential election year. The elections included federal and state positions, including the Governor, state representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senators. Interestingly enough, one of the Californian candidates had previously worked as a cashier, though candidates with extensive education and experience are generally preferred by voters. As for the propositions, there were originally twelve, but Proposition 9 was removed due to constitutional issues. This proposition purposed splitting the state into three—California, Northern California, and Southern California. Thus, the proposition was also called, “Cal 3.” It was also interesting that the proposition somehow received enough signatures and made it into the ballot before it was removed.

Living up to the name “Developing Virtue,” this activity allowed students to incorporate the practice of citizenship. As future voters, students were able to directly understand the process of voting and democracy. “It allowed a good glimpse into the political world that belonged to adults,” mentioned Sola Long, a Sophomore. “As disinterested as I am in politics and government, it became a useful learning experience,” said Rachel Blythe, a Freshman. As a senior who is close to the legal voting age, Chris Ruan commented, “It gave me an insight on how to vote in the future.”