Since 1972, the youth vote for presidential elections has topped 50 percent only three times. One Vicksburg school is doing its best to change that trend in future elections as Bowmar Avenue Elementary hosted a mock presidential election Friday.

Third-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students were eligible to vote. They listened to speeches, registered to vote and cast their ballot in a monitored polling location in each classroom.

The program was hosted by the school’s Gifted and Talented Educational Services students, who also had on-location reporters, poll monitors and data collectors.

Sherry Garmon, a GATES teacher at Bowmar, sat down with fellow gifted-students teacher Mille Wolfe to come up with a way to get the students interested in voting.

“Every year, we did the mock election, even with the governor’s race and other elections,” Garmon said. “It’s become kind of a tradition. We try to instill the importance of voting.”

Garmon pointed to the traditionally low turnout among the youth vote.

“In order to motivate the kids, we show them that it’s really a privilege and responsibility of the citizens to vote,” Garmon said. “The kids did a great job. I was really proud of them.”

Tommy Curtis III, the son of Tommy and Rebecca Curtis, played Barack Obama while Gabriel Katzenmeyer, the son of Charles and Brandy Katzenmeyer, played Mitt Romney. Obama defeated Romney 109-88 at Bowmar, taking 55 percent of the vote.

Principal Tammy Burris explained the importance of raising students’ interest in politics and voting.

“They’re going to be our leaders one day,” Burris said. “In our halls, we have charts and graphs about how many people can vote and how many actually do. I hope these students will be our voters for the future.”

Garmon said that, in addition to learning about the electoral process, they also became more familiar with the candidates themselves, through Rebecca’s and Gabriel’s speeches and campaigning.

“The purpose was to really inform the students of, not only the election process, but who stands where on what issues,” Garmon said. “Throughout history, people have struggled and died for the right to vote. That’s basically why we do this every year; to remind them and teach them the importance of voting.”

Burris said the program goes hand-in-hand with the district’s emphasis on citizenship.

“I want to applaud Mrs. Garmon and her students,” Burris said. “Being a good citizen, that’s all in the curriculum. For her to do that, where everyone can participate is a great way for the students to learn.”

After the actual presidential election, Bowmar students will return to the polls, held in each classroom, for another vote. This time, they will vote for a sixth-grader to serve as a student-body president. That student will be selected from the school’s Lighthouse Team, a group of fifth- and sixth-grade students who are recommended by teachers and undergo a screening process.

“Within that team, they’re going to run for some offices and will hold that office for the year,” Burris said. “They’ll help with things like service projects and all the things we do throughout the year.”