Mock election

For educational purposes

Schools sometimes organize mock elections to introduce young people to the concept of elections before they have reached their voting age. The elections aim to give the participants an understanding of democracy and politics, and encourage future young voters to cast a ballot. Mock elections are frequently held during an actual election. They can have real or fake candidates depending on the school and the purpose of the mock election.

For a change to democratic elections

As a way to introduce democratic elections in Bhutan, in preparation for the Bhutanese general election in 2008, two mock elections were held. The mock elections were primarily used to familiarize voters with the procedural aspects of voting, including registration, Voter Photo Identity Cards, using a voting machine, and vote counting. The first election was held in 2006 at Paro College of Education, and featured faculty and students who formed or voted for six dummy political parties. The parties engaged in political campaigning, which cumulated in two elections, the first resulting in two main parties, and the second deciding a winner. The second mock election was held country-wide on April 21, 2007 with four dummy parties. After the first round, the top two parties advanced to the second round, which was held on May 28, 2007.

For amusement and parody

In the United Kingdom, a mock election was held in the grounds of a debtors' prison, King's Bench Prison, in 1827. The prisoners declared they would elect two Members of Parliament (the standard representation for a pre-Reform Act English Borough). The constituency was dubbed the "Borough of Tenterden" after the Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench Lord Tenterden. Three candidates stood for election. One of them, Robert Stanton, had recently been a real Member of Parliament. Another was the boxer Henry Josiah Holt, and the third was Joseph Meredith. The election was presided over by an Irishman Jonas Murphy, posing as the Lord High Sheriff. Notably, artist Benjamin Robert Haydon was imprisoned there during the election and was inspired to create a painting based on the events, titled The Mock Election.

References

References

1. Lundberg, Erik. (2024-04-02). "Can Participation in Mock Elections Boost Civic Competence among Students?". Journal of Political Science Education.
2. Öhrvall, Richard. (2020). "Practice makes voters? Effects of student mock elections on turnout". Politics.
3. Kinga, Sonam. (2019). "Democratic Transition in Bhutan: Political Contests as Moral Battles". [[Routledge India]].
4. "Statistical Information on Elections in Bhutan (2006-2015)". Election Commission of Bhutan.
5. O’Keeffe, Paul. (2009). "A genius for failure: The life of Benjamin Robert Haydon". [[The Bodley Head]].
6. "The Mock Election 1827".