Polls Open for Scholastic Student Vote: Kids across the Country Cast their Vote for the Next President

Student vote has reflected the election outcome every year since 1940 except Dewey/Truman and Kennedy/Nixon

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Aug 15, 2012, 10:58 ET

NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Kids can vote in the 2012 Presidential Election through the Scholastic Student Vote. The vote, which is live now at www.scholastic.com/vote, is a longstanding tradition for Scholastic News® classroom magazines. The Scholastic Student Vote was launched during the 1940 Presidential election, and has continued every election year since then with the outcome reflecting that of the General Election in every contest but two (in 1948 when students chose Thomas E. Dewey over Harry S. Truman and in 1960 when more students voted for Richard M. Nixon than John F. Kennedy).

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This year, kids will choose between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor and presumed Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, to become the next President of the United States. In addition to the online vote, students who receive fall issues of Scholastic Classroom Magazines at school will have the option of casting their vote via paper ballot. The deadline to vote online is October 10^th.

"The Scholastic Student Vote has a rich history and plays an important role in educating students in the United States about our nation's democratic process," said Suzanne McCabe, Editor-at-Large, Scholastic Classroom Magazines. "We're excited to see who the students choose as their next President in this mock election, and hope that teachers will take this opportunity to teach an important civics lesson about why every eligible voter should exercise his or her right to vote."

Before voting, kids can check out the Scholastic 2012 Election site. Launched in the early days of campaigning, the site houses news articles, free resources, games and interactive maps that can help kids better understand the electoral process. The site also features campaign coverage by the Scholastic News Kid Reporters, a team of more than 50 student journalists from across the country who report "news for kids, by kids." In addition to covering the candidates on the campaign trail, the reporters are examining the issues that matter most to kids during this election. Coverage will continue through Election Day.

For more information on Classroom Magazines, visit the media room.

SOURCE Scholastic Inc.