What is Promote the Vote?
     Promote the Vote is a comprehensive voter education project sponsored by the Secretary of State's Office.  All school and students in Mississippi are invited to participate. Promote the Vote is associated with the National student /Parent Mock Election Program.
     Students participating in Promote the Vote improve their political decision making abilities and increase their interest in current issues.   Students also gain a belief that civic responsibility and voting are important freedoms and should be motivated to act on those beliefs as adults. 

What did they do?  
     Students read or listened to questions posed to candidates, then discussed each the candidates responses.  Based on this discussion, the students cast their votes for Governor and Lieutenant Governor. 

Here are the results of the Sixth grade class vote:

Governor  Our winner was Ronnie Musgove

• Haley Barbour-18 votes
• John Thomas Cripps-7 votes
• Sherman Lee Dillon-1 vote
• Ronnie Musgrove-28 votes
• Shawn O'Hara-0 votes

Lieutenant Governor   Our winner was Barbara Blackmon

• Barbara Blackmon-34 votes
• Anna J. Reives-3 votes
• Amy Tuck-15 votes

  Learning About the Candidates
  A Personal Account
  The following narrative includes the vocabulary for the Fourth Grade Social Studies unit on government.  Our thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Munro for sending us pictures of all the major candidates in the 2003 election. 

  Laura meets Haley Barbour and Rudolf Giuliani	Laura meets George Payne, Harrison County Sheriff
  Laura meets Haley Barbour, Republican candidate for governor

  10/29/03.  Today Laura Munro went on a field trip with her family to Pascagoula to learn more about what she is studying in Mrs. Crawford's 4th grade Social Studies class.  She attended a political rally for Haley Barbour who is running for Governor of the State of Mississippi.  While she was there she met the former mayor of New York City, Rudolf Giuliani, the Harrison County Sheriff, George Payne, and the Republican candidate for Governor, Haley Barbour.  She listened to speeches about the importance of citizens voting to elect the next governor of our state.  Since the Democratic candidate for Governor, Ronnie Musgrove, wasn't there, she looked him up and read about him on the Internet.  On November 1st she will attend a rally in Gulfport to listen to The President of the United States, George Bush speak and to get a picture of him.  She hopes to meet him personally. 

  11/01/03. Today Laura's continued her study on government this weekend by attending President Bush's speech on Saturday.  While she was there she had her picture taken with the stage (large flag in the background in picture).  This was so exciting that Laura said she had butterflies!  She got about 10 feet from the president! She also got pictures with White House Secret Service agents and some with their dogs, too.  Next year she plans to follow the presidential election and plans to place her "Kids Vote" for President Bush.

  11/02/03.  Today in Ocean Springs Laura got to meet incumbent Governor Musgrove and Congressman Gene Taylor.  She hopes that there will be a "Kids Voting" booth on election day so she can cast her vote for governor.  However, she says that now that she has met both candidates, she will have a very hard time deciding who to vote for because both Governor Musgrove and Mr. Barbour are soooooo nice!  The next time Mr. Taylor runs for congressman, Laura will support him.
  Outside the polling place...	I'm in the right place.....
  Time to vote...	Drop in your ballot....
  Got my "I Voted" sticker!
  11-04-03.  Today is Tuesday, Election Day!  Election means that you cast your vote for the people that you want to run the government.  Laura went to poll today to vote for the candidates.  After she left the voting booth to mark her secret ballot (a form that you mark your answers on).   She said that it was a very hard choice because all the candidates are so good and wondered if people ever had to use"eanie, meanie, miney, moe" to help them decide who to vote for.   Now Laura is geared up for next year's presidential election and urges everyone to exercise their right to vote.