By Doug Boyle
Staff Writer
On Monday, November 5, 2012, Westford Academy held a mock election, one day before the official national election day. The mock election gave students a chance to voice their opinions on which candidate is best for their respective position. Most students at Westford Academy are unable to vote in the actual election because they are underaged, so the mock election was a perfect opportunity for those students to vote for their favorite candidate.
The 562 students who choose to vote during lunch were allowed to choose from candidates for the Presidential election, US Senate election, State Senate election, and for a member in the House of Representatives. They were also allowed to vote for the three ballot initiatives.
The most anticipated election of the 2012 year was the Presidential election. Barack Obama, with running mate Joe Biden, won the mock election. Obama, who won the 2008 national election, is seeking his second and final term as President. His opponent is former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
The election for US Senator has been intriguing for many across Massachusetts, and Scott Brown won the most votes from the Westford Academy student body. Brown, if re-elected, will return to the Senator position after serving since 2010. Brown’s major running opponent is Elizabeth Warren.
WA chose Eileen Donoghue and James Arciero for Massachusetts State Senate. Donoghue has been in the State Senate since 2011 and Arciero has represented the Middlesex County since 2008. The candidate elected to represent Massachusetts in the House of Representatives was Niki Tsongas, who has been the representative since 2007. She is seeking re-election in the 5th Congressional District of Massachusetts.
Westford Academy also voted yes on all three ballot initiatives. These included a question dealing with vehicle ownership and protection in the state, another question dealing with “death with dignity” or physician assisted suicide, and a final question regarded the use of medical marijuana.
