Students at St Mary’s School in Cambridge accurately predicted the result of the race to the White House in their mock election campaign more than a week before polling day.
The election at the city’s only all girls’ school mirrored the US system with each form group being allocated a state and corresponding Electoral College votes according to its size. The winning candidate in each form took all the available Electoral College votes.
The candidates were both Year 13 A-level Government & Politics students. Alice McWilliam took on the role of Republican challenger Mitt Romney and Cathy Thomas was the incumbent Democrat President Obama. The candidates spent the week promoting their campaigns and canvassing for votes as the whole school became familiar with the vagaries of the American Electoral College system.
In the end, Obama won 273 to Romney’s 127 votes in an Electoral College of 400 votes at the school. As opinion polls leading up to the election showed the contest too close to call, the students at St Mary’s chose the victorious candidate with unerring accuracy.
Peter Richards, Head of History and Politics, said: “The enthusiasm and interest in the election generated by the candidates and their campaigning teams has been remarkable, giving the whole school a real understanding of how the Electoral College works. We were delighted that we were able to predict the actual outcome and learn so much in the process.”
Charlotte Avery, Headmistress, said: “I was greatly impressed by the enthusiasm for the school’s inaugural US election campaign, having undertaken similar campaigns for the UK elections in the past. A presentation of flowers will be made to both of the candidates and their campaign managers in assembly today.”
Photo – Cathy Thomas (left) and Alice McWilliam (right) after the election result.