VOTES 2004: KERRY WINS NATIONWIDE MOCK ELECTION

October 28, 2004

Northfield, MA—VOTES 2004, a nationwide high school mock election, has predicted the next U.S. president in every election since 1988. On October 28, less than a week before the national election, student voters chose John Kerry. Are they right again?

Northfield Mount Hermon School history teachers Jim Shea and Lorrie Byrom co-founded VOTES (Voting Opportunities for Teenagers in Every State) to educate high school students about the electoral process in the United States. Two schools from each state participate, and this year over 53,000 students cast their votes. Voter turnout among the 100 schools was 70 percent.

The winner was announced on Thursday night at 9 pm at the election headquarters and mock television studio set up at Northfield Mount Hermon, where student anchors and political commentators tallied the votes.

VOTES 2004 Final Results
October 28, 2004

ELECTORAL VOTES
John Kerry: 326
George Bush: 212

POPULAR VOTES AND PERCENTAGES
John Kerry:      26,920   (50.2%)
George Bush:    22,771   (42.5%)
Ralph Nader:    2,253   (4.4%)
David Cobb:     758   (1.4%)
Michael Badnarik:     572   (1.0%)
Michael Peroutka:     230   (0.4%)
Other:        56   (0.1%)

TOTAL VOTES:     53,604
VOTER TURNOUT:   70%

 

STATES WON
John Kerry  (27)

Arkansas
California
Connecticut
DC
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Iowa
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
New Hampshire
New Mexico
New York
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vermont
Virginia
Wisconsin

 

George Bush  (24)

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Colorado
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Missouri
Mississippi
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Jersey
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oklahoma
South Dakota
Texas
Utah
Washington
West Virginia
Wyoming