Elmhurst resident Jan Dorner makes it her business to ensure young people know about the important process of voting. As a member of the League of Women Voters for both Elmhurst and the state of Illinois, Dorner was in charge of organizing this year's mock elections. York High School was one of 13 high schools in DuPage County that participated in the program, made possible by a grant from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, part of the Help America Vote Act of 2004.

The timing couldn't have been more fortuitous for Ken Dowdy, American Government teacher at York High School, who said the mock election coincided with the Campaign and Elections Unit of his curriculum.

"We had just finished going over political parties, so they were aware of what a G (Green) and L (Libertarian) meant on the ballot," he said.

Dowdy also covered all of this year's major races in class, and explained the difference between a presidential year and a mid-term year. 

"I think the kids went in with at least a good idea of who the candidates were when they saw the names on the ballot," he said.

Dorner said that one of her volunteers initially felt the mock election process was not a big deal until she had to assist students whose ballots weren't accepted by the ballot machine because they were filled out incorrectly.

"I know that student will remember the next time they go to vote," Dorner said. "It's important not to be concerned with, 'I don't know how to do it, and I'm afraid to look foolish.' Because nobody wants to feel foolish, and especially not at that age."

The ballot included all the state Constitutional offices: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, comptroller and treasurer, and the U.S. Senate and U.S. Congressional candidates.

The results of the mock elections will be posted on www.illinoisstudentvote.org. Dowdy said he wasn't surprised by the results.

"The big names came out on top: Pat Quinn, Alexi Giannoulias and Peter Roskam," Dowdy said. "It kind of tells you what name recognition means when kids—and probably adults—go to the polls. 

"If you're not an incumbent, you really need to get out there and pound the pavement."

Both Dorner and Dowdy hope the mock election is one baby step in the process of becoming an active and informed citizen.

"The reality is, most Americans are going to participate in the political process by voting," Dowdy said. "They're not going to run for office, and a few will actually help with campaigns."

The mock election provides a very useful lesson for teens, he said.

"We can talk about the ballots and going to the polls, but to actually experience it with a real ballot and a real machine and the real process is a valuable experience for these kids. It gets them experience early in their education, and hopefully in the next few years they'll take a bigger interest in politics and elections."

"Starting off with just the process is a good jumping-off point," Dorner said. "Then it goes from there to how one picks the appropriate candidate."