Hartley Elementary School students Aidan, Helen, Haniya and Isaac joined thousands of local children who participated in a beehive of voting activity on Tuesday.
The fifth graders cast their ballots in the 2026 Lincoln Public Schools Student Vote event. Young voters from both public and parochial schools in Lincoln and the surrounding area became the latest contributors to a longstanding tradition. LPS has sponsored the educational activity in every two-year election cycle since 1992.
The Hornets said they were excited to make decisions on their Chromebooks. All LPS students in grades 4-12 learned how democracy and voting go hand in hand before Election Day. They then cast mock ballots on three legislative races and one proposed amendment to the state constitution.
“One thing I learned is that even though we aren’t old enough to vote yet, we can still have a say in our schools,” Haniya said.
“It helps students to have freedom,” Helen said. “We’re beginning to understand what choices we can have.”
Hartley instructional coach Phil Maynard was proud to watch the Hornets display so much interest in Student Vote. The project teaches them why voting is important and how Americans participate in local, state and national elections. They also learn that all voices count in the voting experience, which makes it such a key part of the American social fabric.
“I think it’s been a great experience,” Maynard said. “It’s been fun to see their eyes open up a little bit and to see them be more curious about democracy. I think our whole goal for them is to be more informed citizens and go to the polls with the skills that we want them to carry with them when they leave Hartley.”
Fifth grade teacher Katelyn Matejka felt her class learned how and why the voting process is a core principle of American democracy. The Hornets created Student Vote signs and patriotic posters to hang in school hallways, and student election commissioners Aidan and Helen spoke about Student Vote to every Hartley fourth and fifth grade classroom. LPS Communications also created several educational videos that taught students many voting-themed lessons.
“The biggest lesson for my class has been learning how to be an informed voter,” Matejka said. “We talked about how the voting process works and why it is important to respect different opinions while learning about the choices on the ballot. The videos and activities provided by LPS have been a great way to get students excited and ready to participate.”
Aidan and Helen presented ten-minute speeches during their tour of the fourth and fifth grade wing. They explained how voting works and why LPS holds the educational activities. They also took questions from each class in their leadership roles.
Both Hornets said their preparation work gave them greater knowledge of the American governmental system.
“I think I’ve learned a lot about how people can vote and the freedom and privilege of voting,” Helen said.
“I think voting is important, because if you want to make a change, you can do it by voting,” Aidan said.
Students also watched videos that featured insights about the past 250 years of democracy, the importance of civility and the significance of being a knowledgeable voter. Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, United States Senator Deb Fischer and many LPS students and staff members participated in the short films.
Isaac said the video message about civility impacted him the most. He said it was important to respect everyone’s voting opinions.
“I learned that there are people who are most likely going to pick different things, but there are also going to be a lot of people who are going to pick the same thing,” Isaac said.
Haniya said the Student Vote activities gave her more confidence about her future civic duty.
“It will help me when I get older so that we know the proper etiquette for voting, such as finding the right resources,” Haniya said.
Hartley fourth graders voted from 9-9:45 a.m. and fifth graders entered their choices from 2:40-3:30 p.m. The Student Vote ballot was an example for educational purposes only and did not reflect the official Lancaster County ballot.
Students voted for Nebraska governor and seats in the United States Senate and House of Representatives. They also voted for or against a proposed amendment to increase term limits for state legislators from two four-year terms to three four-year terms.
Area students cast more than 2,700 votes by 9:05 a.m., and that figure surpassed 12,700 less than three hours later. Staff members followed the action on a live website dashboard. It tracked how many votes had been submitted at each building and listed totals for elementary, middle and high school grade levels.
The activity finished at 3:45 p.m. with 20,314 votes. LPS has partnered with radio stations KFOR and KFRX on Student Vote for many years, and that relationship continued this fall. Southeast High School junior Makenna and Southwest High School sophomore Xauiki revealed the day’s results in a live radio show Tuesday afternoon.
Maynard said Student Vote helped the Hornets understand why voting is a treasured action in our country.
“When they came in this morning, they understood that what they’re doing today matters,” Maynard said. “It’s important for them to know that they’re learning a civic responsibility. It’s important to not just read about democracy in a textbook, but to actually experience it.”
Learn how LPS students are gaining many lifetime skills from social studies activities like Student Vote.
Click on this link for a detailed breakdown of the final 2026 Student Vote results!
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