Vote next week?!

Parents and teachers, next Thursday, October 28, is Mock Election Day, "by any measure, the [US's] largest and most successful voter education project," according to a joint press release of National Student/Parent Mock Election and supporters USATODAY and American Happenings. More than 10 million students and parents cast their votes in the last two presidential Mock Elections in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and 14 countries/territories around the world where Americans are based, the release adds. Students have been debating the issues all along with peers in all 50 states and 176 countries at the New Voters Project Presidential Youth Debate, supported by, among others, a great youth-activism site called YouthNoise.com.

As for voter education, here's an example of what we're all up against: "According to a 2003 study from Rutgers University, eight out of ten 15-to-26-year-olds know that the animated Simpsons family lives in Springfield, but less than half know the political party of their State's governor, and only 40% can say which party controls Congress," said John Herklotz, Chairman of American Happenings and Vice-Chairman of the National Student/Parent Mock Election.