Maine Students Pick Jackson Over Collins In Prescient Statewide Mock Election

Maine students have cast their verdict on the state’s hotly contested U.S. Senate race, favoring Democrat Troy Jackson over longtime Republican incumbent Susan Collins in a statewide mock election.The exercise, organized by the Maine Secretary of State’s Office, drew more than 12,000 student voters from 115 schools on Tuesday. According to results released Wednesday, Mr. Jackson edged out Ms. Collins by a solid margin, taking 50.8 percent of the student vote compared with Ms. Collins’ 45.1 percent. The results shared by the secretary’s office showed that roughly four percent of students wrote in an alternate candidate.The mock election has been a solid predictor of presidential contests in recent years. Maine students have correctly picked the winning presidential candidate in 2016, 2020, and 2024, and last year they mirrored actual voters in rejecting a voter ID measure and backing a red-flag law referendum. But the forecasting hasn’t held on all ballot contests. In 2016, students backed a gun background check referendum that ultimately failed at the polls, and in 2020 they favored Democrat Sara Gideon over Ms. Collins, a race Ms. Collins won.Students who voted Tuesday also projected a win for Democrat Hannah Pingree in the open governor’s race, giving her a plurality of 41.8 percent, ahead of Republican Bobby Charles at 30.4 percent and independent Rick Bennett at 24.4 percent. An average of recent polls has shown Ms. Pingree with an 11-point margin over Mr. Charles.In the First Congressional District, Democratic incumbent Chellie Pingree, the mother of the gubernatorial candidate, held her seat comfortably, pulling 57.5 percent over her Republican challenger, Ron Russell’s 39.7 percent of the vote. Just 54 percent of the participants voted in that district race.Republicans found their lone victory in the Second Congressional District, where students backed former Governor Paul LePage over Democratic State Auditor Matt Dunlap, 52 percent to 43.2 percent. Only 27 percent of students participated in that vote.Each candidate submitted a campaign-style video that was distributed to schools ahead of the vote. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows kicked off voting in person at Maranacook Community High School in Readfield.“The Maine Student Mock Election is an engaging way for students across the state to learn about elections and have their voices heard even before they can cast a real ballot,” Ms. Bellows said in a statement accompanying the results. “We always say that voting is not a test, but we know that practicing voting before students turn 18 can help them feel prepared to participate in our democracy when the day comes. Mock election creates a fun environment for civic participation and civil discourse about the upcoming election,” she said.This year’s real-world Senate contest remains tight, with multiple polls showing Mr. Jackson holding a slim edge, though Ms. Collins has led in at least one survey. Maine’s 16- and 17-year-olds can preregister to vote, and eligible students may cast real ballots on Election Day, November 3.

Maine Students Pick Jackson Over Collins In Prescient Statewide Mock Election

Maine Students Pick Jackson Over Collins In Prescient Statewide Mock Election

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