For Parents

The Student/Parent Mock Election has been endorsed by the New Jersey Parent Teacher Association. Please read their inspiring and patriotic endorsement letter.

The involvement of parents is one of the most important elements to the Mock Election. Ideally, the Mock Election gives parents the opportunity to become involved in the homework and other activities teachers assign their children.

That includes helping students find election news stories in newspapers, magazines and on websites as they prepare their homework for school the next day.

If your child's classroom receives free newspapers as part of a Newspaper in Education Program sponsored by your local paper, be sure to ask your child to bring the newspaper home for you to read, too.

Also, your child's teacher may invite you to the classroom on Mock Election Day to assist with the voting process. Parents are eligible to vote, too, and your votes will be counted along with the votes of students. This option is an effort to illustrate to schoolchildren the importance of voting.

Voting in the Mock Election,  however, doesn't take the place of parents voting in the General Election in November. All registered voters are strongly urged to go to the polls to vote on November 3. Be sure to check your local newspaper for details about how and when to register to vote in the General Election.

If your child is home-schooled, he or she is encouraged to vote in the Mock Election. To do that, please contact your closest school(s) after October 1 to ask to speak with the Mock Election Coordinator. Ask the person you talk with to tell you when and where to come to school so your child (and, perhaps, you) can vote. Most schools won't know who their Mock Election Coordinator is until after October 1.

If you prefer to vote independently, you may go to the National Student/Parent Mock Election website, where you will find an enrollment form. You should return that enrollment form before October 15.

The National Student/Parent Mock  Election website also contains some special information for parents.