The day before the Federal election, the Braes unit set up a mock polling booth to give students a hands-on opportunity to experience the voting process and better understand how elections work.
With 90 Year 6 students voting and four fictitious candidates – Leo Sparks, Ruby Green, Laura Smart, and Alex Fairplay – there were varying ideas on how to improve schools in Australia. Leo aimed to make schools more fun, Ruby focused on the environment, Laura wanted to improve classrooms and Axel hoped to help students make more friends. Despite the variety of ideas, the voting results were far from close. Leo won by a landslide, receiving over half the votes, a total of 58 votes (78%). Ruby followed with 7 votes (9%), Laura got 6 votes (8%), and Axel only had 3 votes (4%).
Students lined up, answering a few basic questions and receiving a ballot paper to rank the candidates. After votes were cast, excitement built up throughout the weekend. Finally, Leo was announced as the winner, sparking cheers and celebration among the students. It was a valuable experience that allowed our Year 6 students to see firsthand how a polling booth operates and the voting process.
Written by Amelia, Levi & Nate S
