In recognition of the 2024 presidential election, the Weekly Talon asked Davie High students and staff to participate in a mock election. Respondents were anonymously asked who they would vote for in the upcoming presidential race.

Davie High’s Votes

In total, 497 people responded to the Weekly Talon’s survey. Of these respondents, 58.6% said they would elect Republican candidate Donald Trump while 34.4% voted for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. The other 7% of the vote was won by third-party candidates, specifically Randall Terry from the Constitution Party (2.6%), Cornel West from the Justice For All Party (1.6%), Libertarian Chase Oliver (1.4%), and Jill Stein from the Green Party (1.4%).

453 of the 497 respondents were students. This number comprises 136 ninth graders, 87 tenth graders, 151 eleventh graders, and 79 twelfth graders. 60.5% of all students voted for Trump, 32% voted for Harris, and 7.5% voted for third-party candidates. 

This trend in results was also evident in the individual results for each grade level. Among freshmen, Trump received 58.1% of the vote while Harris had 31.6%. This was also the class with the largest percentage of votes for third-party candidates. Trump had the largest margin of victory in the sophomore class with 66.7% of the vote while Harris won 26.4%. In the junior class, 62.3% of students voted for Trump while 29.8% voted for Harris. The vote was the closest between the Republican and Democratic candidates in the senior class, with Trump receiving 54.4% of the votes and Harris earning 43.0%. 

While Trump won the majority of votes from Davie High’s students, Harris won among Davie High staff. Of the 44 respondents, 59.1% voted for Harris, 38.6% voted for Trump, and 2.3% voted for Libertarian Chase Oliver. 

What to Make of These Results

The results of the mock election provide an interesting snapshot of the political opinion of Davie High’s students and staff. However, the outcome was not an entirely surprising one.

In the 2020 presidential election, the Weekly Talon conducted a mock election similar to this. Just like in this year’s survey, Trump won the majority of votes in total and among students, while the Democratic candidate won among staff members.

Furthermore, the Republican majority among students reflects the political leanings of Davie County as a whole. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, there are 17,107 individuals registered to vote as Republicans while only 4,672 are registered with the Democratic party. In the 2020 presidential election, 72% of voters in Davie County voted for Trump while 26.5% voted for President Joe Biden. With this in mind, it is not surprising that the opinions of Davie High students would match this trend.

While the results among students do align with local political trends, the results for DCHS staff do not. In this year’s mock election, the Democratic candidate was more popular among staff members, contrasting Davie County’s overall Republican affiliation. There are several reasons that could explain this difference. To begin with, some teachers may not live in Davie County; instead, they might reside in surrounding areas like Forsyth County, a region that is primarily Democratic. A second possible explanation is that those who work in education tend to align with the Democratic Party. According to the Pew Research Center, “A majority of public K-12 teachers (58%) identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party.”

Another interesting trend was the difference between the results for male and female students. According to Gallup, women, specifically younger women, have become more liberal over time while men are typically more conservative. We can see this trend play out to an extent in the results of Davie’s mock election. Among males, Trump won with 70.7% of the vote while Harris received only 20%. This margin of victory was much lower among females. Only 52.7% of females voted for Trump, and 41.4% voted for Harris. Although Trump still won the majority in each group, the gap of 18% between male and female votes for the Republican candidate supports the trends identified by Gallup.

When analyzing the results of the survey, it is important to keep in mind that they may not accurately represent the views of DCHS due to several factors. To begin with, respondents may not have taken the survey seriously, leading to inaccurate results. For example, 34 students (7.5%), 14 of whom were freshmen, voted for third-party candidates. This is an unusually high count, especially when compared to the one staff member (2.3%) who voted for a minority candidate. Also, not everyone at Davie High took part in the survey. Only 44 of the 164 faculty members and 453 of the 1,835 students responded, meaning the results of the mock election are missing input from a large portion of individuals from DCHS, possibly skewing the outcome.

Overall, the 2024 mock election provides an interesting insight into the political opinions of DCHS students and staff. By recognizing the diverse range of perspectives held within our school and community, we are reminded of the importance of respecting differing views and fostering a political climate where everyone’s opinions are valued. As the election cycle ends, let us remember how vital it is that we continue to thoughtfully engage with one another, creating a more considerate and inclusive future for all.