Since the beginning of this year, LHS StuCo has made it their goal to give back to the high school not only by cleaning and decorating the school but also by examining current processes and developing new and creative ways to improve activities to better prepare students for their future. This fall Larned High School’s Student Council (StuCo) debuted a new system to vote for the Homecoming King and Queen. The week leading up to homecoming is alive with excitement as students experience all of the homecoming festivities including the bonfire, parade, pep rally, and perhaps most importantly, the traditional vote for the Homecoming King and Queen!
A new voting system was made to replicate a real-world voting experience! To achieve a more realistic process, StuCo printed off ballots and made voting booths. When a student showed up to vote, they first had to tell the poll worker their full name, then they signed next to their name. Once that was finished, students were given their ballot and they filled it out in private; then, they placed the ballot in the lockbox.
Even if students didn’t get a chance to vote and try the new process out for themselves, they were immersed in the political experience as those who did vote were given “I Voted” stickers to wear throughout the day. When asked for her thoughts on the voting process, Jocelyn Clausen stated “I liked this year’s voting system better than last year because I felt like it would help me be more prepared for the voting lines and being at the voting booth alone when that time comes. I thought it was a lot more spirited and more involved than last year’s system was.” In the past, students have participated in the voting process by receiving an email that contains a link to a Google form; then, students vote for their favorite candidate, and the votes are automatically counted. This process was filled with issues. One of the biggest issues with this system was a majority of students failed to check their email daily.
When asked Mrs. Steinlage said that this was not the last time we would see this system being put to use, but also that “We will continue to do the candidate voting via online Google form, but we will always do the king and queen voting in person. We also plan to do our Winter royalty king and queen and also our StuCo officers in person as well.”
With a national election around the corner, it is exciting to see a process that encourages students not only to participate but also to show their support for voting. As students turn eighteen and graduate they will have the opportunity to register and vote on a national level. This is one success that StuCo can be proud of as the process was very quick and easy, all the more while replicating a real-life voting experience. It will definitely be exciting to see what other changes StuCo has up their sleeve for the remainder of the school year, and for years to come.
