Jackson Free Press

Sen. Barack Obama is the presidential choice of a majority—53 percent—of Mississippi public and private school students who voted in the 2008 Mock Election. "This year, 514 schools are signed up to participate in our Promote the Vote program," said Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann in a statement. "Of those 514 schools, 328 submitted their results for the Mock Election portion of Promote the Vote. This is a tremendous turnout for our students and a great way to get them started in the democratic process." Vote program.

Obama won with 52,904 votes over McCain's 44,489, which was 44 percent of the vote. Of five third-party candidates on the ballot, Ralph Nader did best with 904 votes. In the U.S. Senate races, the Obama Effect did help Democrats; the Republicans came out on top with Roger Wicker and Thad Cochran defeating their Democratic challengers by roughly the same 54-46 margin. Mississippi schoolchildren would also return Reps. Bennie Thompson and Travis Childers to office, while balancing out those Democrats with new Reps. Gregg Harper and John McCay III (who upset Gene Taylor in this election).

Click here for more information on the Mock Election results and the Promote the Vote campaign.