1. Running an election within your school community
Gus Humphries
Caulfield Grammar School

2. Overall aims – Why do this?
Students in the class/cohort gain the opportunity to:
Represent a political party
Develop an understand of Australian Party platforms
Enhance their awareness of the similarities and differences between parties
Experience the Australian political system at work, including preferential voting
Investigate political issues relevant to Australia/Melbourne/peer group
Present political views to an audience
Plan and manage a campaign
Market their party to a wider audience
Students in the ‘electorate’ gain the opportunity to:
Be exposed to Australian political issues and views
Make decisions about their own views
Experience preferential voting
Ask questions of the ‘politicians’

3. Victorian Curriculum Links

4. What do you need - checklist
Willing students
Auditorium (lecterns and microphones if possible)
AV equipment for showing videos
Internet access (for interactivity for ‘electorate’)
Roving microphone for questions from audience
Supportive colleagues
Patience and a sense of humour
For voting:
Tables/booths
Pencils
Printed voting papers
Class lists of all voters (including cohort)
Volunteers (to tick off names)
Counters
Scrutineers (for counting)

5. Process – The set up…
Students in the class/cohort are informed of the job ahead of them
Form groups
Select/be allocated a party to represent
They must create a new name, logo and slogan for the party. No current day names/logos etc may be used
Develop an understanding of party platform and position on key issues relevant to the electorate (the voters). These issues MUST be common to all parties
Allocate roles to all members of the group
Suggested no more than 5 per group
Students made aware of the need to develop a campaign to culminate in a Presidential style debate in front of the electorate

6. Roles
Campaign video
Introduce candidate, party and views on selected issues
Campaign posters (for debate and ‘press the flesh’ session)
Showing name, logo, slogan and candidate (must be signed off by the electoral commission – you!)
How to vote card
Students should establish links to other parties and negotiate where they might place one another on the how to vote card
Candidate
Dress like a politician
Represent the party and party values
Prepare short introductory speech and be prepared to debate and answer questions

7. Prep (for you)
Once names of parties in, using ‘double randomization’ (alerting students to between 1-3% occurrence of ‘donkey votes’) you should develop the ballot paper
Enables students to develop their how to vote cards
Print required number of ballot papers

8. On the day… Panic Press the flesh session
Optional extra which usually works well
Sectioned off areas at recess, lunchtime where students from the electorate can meet with the candidates
Opportunity to see posters, parties in casual fashion, and speak with parties
No act will be too low for candidates/party members at this point

9. On the day… Auditorium is set up as a Presidential debate
Electorate take their seats (with devices if you wish)
Teacher in charge explains the process
Videos
Introductions
Questions from the audience and process

10. One the day… Videos are played one by one
Videos go no more than one minute
Once video is complete, candidate enters the stage and takes their place
Once all videos are complete, each candidate has 30 seconds to introduce themselves
Time limits must be strictly adhered to

11. On the day…
Once introductions completed, students can log into digital space to post questions
Suggested areas of questioning (given which areas students investigated for each party)
These questions can be general (for any candidate) or for a particular candidate
Facilitator needs assistance here to select questions, students from the audience to ask them and achieve a balance
Once a candidate has answered the question (30 second limit – suggest this is on the big screen counting down) another candidate may choose to rebut, respond or also take the question
Etiquette

12. On the day…
After all questions are complete (most likely will have to cut it off!) it is time to vote
Voting ‘infrastructure’ will be required here
Security of the ballot papers
Security of the ballot boxes
Staff assistance
Facilitator presents the following slide…

13. Voting You must number ALL the boxes for your vote to count
Think about where your preferences go – this decides elections!
Get your name ticked off at your house table
Go to the voting area
Complete your vote privately
Fold your paper ONCE and put into ballot boxes
Thank you for your participation in our democracy!

14. Follow up Following class, vote count Counters, scrutineers required
Break down the voting process step by step so class can see why and how a candidate gets eliminated to reach an absolute majority (as per the video)

15. Questions?