Maine Students Give Collins's Senate Seat to Jackson in Mock Vote

Maine Students Give Collins's Senate Seat to Jackson in Mock Vote

Over 12,000 students vote, Jackson takes a narrow majority

More than 12,000 students across 115 Maine schools and districts cast ballots in the statewide student mock election on Tuesday, October 27, with results released by the Maine Secretary of State's Office on Wednesday, October 28. In the closely watched U.S. Senate race, Democrat Troy Jackson won with 6,009 votes, or 50.8%, while incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins received 5,334 votes, or 45.1%. Write-in candidates drew about 4.1% of the student vote.

Secretary of state calls the exercise democracy practice

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, whose office organized the vote, said the Maine Student Mock Election gives students a way to learn about elections and be heard before they can cast a real ballot. Practicing voting before age 18, she said, helps students feel prepared to participate in democracy when the day comes, creating a fun environment for civic participation and civil discourse. Bellows travelled to Maranacook Community High School in Readfield to kick off Tuesday's voting.

Pre-register at 16, vote at 18 in Maine

In Maine, 16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote, and pre-registered teenagers may serve as poll workers. Registered voters who will be 18 by Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, may vote in this year's election, and unregistered new voters can register the same day at the polls. Bellows has argued that students who take part in mock elections are more likely to become lifelong voters, and that voting is easy and does not take much time.

Governor and House mock results round out the ballot

Students also voted for governor and Congress. For governor, Democrat Hannah Pingree led with 5,066 votes, or 41.8%, followed by Republican Bobby Charles with 3,680 votes, or 30.4%, and independent Rick Bennett with 2,956 votes, or 24.4%, with 3.4% for write-ins. In the 1st Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree won the student vote, while in the 2nd District Republican Paul LePage won with about 52% over Democrat Matt Dunlap's roughly 43%.

Real Senate race stays tight as student signal lands

The real Collins-Jackson Senate contest is one of the most closely watched races of the midterms, with national outlets tracking their debates and polls. The student vote does not count toward the official result, but the choice of more than 12,000 young Mainers is being read as a signal of where first-time voters lean. With Election Day set for November 3, many of these students will soon be eligible to cast a real ballot for the first time.