Student Vote 2022 results

More than 19,000 students from across Lincoln and Lancaster County cast their electronic ballots on Wednesday as part of Student Vote, a Lincoln Public Schools tradition since 1992 that offers students the chance to participate in a mock election using the same local ballot that voters will see Nov. 8.

Students in grades four through 12 at every LPS school participated in Student Vote, which has been held every two years in conjunction with KFOR and KFRX radio stations. 

This year, 19,698 ballots were cast. Students voted for Democratic candidate Patty Pansing Brooks (10,221 or 52%) over Republican candidate Mike Flood (8,588 or 44%) for District 1 in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the Nebraska Governor race, Democratic candidate Carol Blood (8,528 or 43%) beat Republican candidate Jim Pillen (6,631 or 34%) and Liberterian candidate Scott Zimmerman (3,998 or 20%) for Nebraska Governor. Students also voted in favor of two initiative measures related to requiring voter identification and raising minimum wage. Full results from Wednesday's Student Vote, including a school-by-school breakdown, are available online here.

Student Vote coordinators North Star High School junior Mikey Pitts and East High sophomore Gabriel Buggi announced the results live on KFOR and KFRX radio stations at 4 p.m. 

LPS K-12 Social Studies Curriculum Specialist Jaci Kellison took part in the first Student Vote when she was a student at Lincoln Southeast High School. The candidates and issues may have changed since then, but the purpose behind Student Vote remains the same.

“I think of it as two important lessons. One is just that ability to participate in a mock election - that physical act of casting your ballot on Student Vote day is really exciting for students,” she said. “The other purpose is all of the lead-up to that, everything that surrounds the Student Vote activity. Students are learning about the democratic process, they’re learning about what different offices to vote for, why you vote for those offices, what those offices get to do and how they impact your life.”

Students voted with their Chromebooks. Some schools had students vote during their social studies classes, while others set aside time at the beginning of a period for all students to vote at the same time. 

Student Vote is more than a one-day event. Students at all levels learn more about voting and the election process during the weeks leading up to Wednesday. For elementary students, there are lessons that focus on the question, “Why does voting matter?” For middle and high school students, “How do I become an informed voter?”

Below is a copy of the sample Student Vote Ballot:

Check out these video resources shared in our classrooms ahead of Student Vote 2022.

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