Our History :: California Secretary of State

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Weber, Ph.D. </div> </div> </div> </a> <div id="mobile-triggers"> <button id="mobile-trigger-search" type="button" aria-haspopup="menu"><span class="sr-only">View Search</span></button> <button id="mobile-trigger-main-navigation" type="button" aria-haspopup="menu"><span class="sr-only">View Navigation</span></button> </div> </div> <div id="header-search"> <form action="https://www.sos.ca.gov/search" method="get" class="ccm-search-block-form"><input name="search_paths[]" type="hidden" value="" /> <label class="sr-only" for="header-search-field">Search Wesbite:</label> <input id="header-search-field" name="query" type="text" value="" class="ccm-search-block-text" placeholder="What can we help you with?"> <button name="submit" type="submit" class="btn btn-default ccm-search-block-submit"><span class="sr-only">Find</span></button> </form> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="header-main-navigation"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12"> <nav id="main-navigation"> <ul role="menu"> <li role="none"><a href="/" role="menuitem">Home</a></li> <li role="none"><a href="/administration/" role="menuitem">About</a></li> <li role="none"><a href="/business-programs/" role="menuitem">Business</a></li> <li role="none"><a href="/notary/" role="menuitem">Notary & Apostille</a></li> <li role="none"><a href="/elections/" role="menuitem">Elections</a></li> <li role="none"><a href="/voters-choice-act/" role="menuitem">VCA</a></li> <li role="none"><a href="/campaign-lobbying/" role="menuitem">Campaign & Lobbying</a></li> <li role="none"><a href="/archives/" role="menuitem">State Archives</a></li> <li role="none"><a href="/registries/" role="menuitem">Registries</a></li> <li role="none"><a href="/administration/news-releases-and-advisories/" role="menuitem">News</a></li> <li role="none"><a href="/administration/events/" role="menuitem">Events</a></li> <li role="none"><a href="/administration/contact-information/" role="menuitem">Contact</a></li> </ul>  <p></p> </nav> <div id="header-social-media-navigation" aria-label="Social Media">  </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div id="page-heading" role="heading" aria-level="1"> <div class="container"> <div id="page-heading-inner" class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12"> <nav aria-label="breadcrumb"> <ul class="breadcrumb"> <li><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections">Elections and Voter Information</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection">California Student Mock Election</a></li> <li class="sr-only">Our History</li> </ul> </nav> <h1>Our History</h1> </div> </div> </div> </div> <main id="main" role="main"> <div class="top-margin"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div id="main-content-normal" class="col-md-9 col-sm-8 col-md-push-3 col-sm-push-4"> <p>The California Student Mock Election began in 2004 during the build-up to the 2004 Presidential General Election. During this first mock election, California students had the opportunity to make their voices heard in contests for President of the United States, United States Senator, and three ballot propositions.</p> <p>In 2008, more than 275,000 students cast ballots in the California Student Mock Presidential Election in an impressive display of student opinion on the candidates and issues affecting the future of our state and nation.  Building on this historic groundswell of interest in voting among young people across the country, the California Student Mock Election team began reaching out to an even wider array of education stakeholders, representing students, teachers, school librarians, parents, and administrators. All played a vital role in spreading the word about the 2010 Student Mock Election as a valuable resource teachers could draw from to make democracy come alive for their students and set them on the path to becoming lifelong voters.</p> <p>The California Student Mock Election has continued every two years in advance of each November general election. Students have cast mock election votes in races for President, Governor of California, and U.S. Senator, and weighed in on high-profile issues such as criminal justice reform, same-sex marriage rights, marijuana legalization, environmental protection, and rent control.</p> <p>In 2020, schools faced new challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Student Mock Election adapted for the new reality of distance learning and provided two remote, electronic options for voting to allow schools to conduct voting with their students who were learning from home. With these remote voting tools, many students were still able to make their voices heard during this historic time and historic Presidential Election.</p> </div> <div id="left-sidebar" class="col-md-3 col-sm-4 col-md-pull-9 col-sm-pull-8"> <h2><a href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection">Student Mock Election</a></h2> <ul class="sbNav noaccordion"> <li><a title="Elections Division" href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections">Elections Division Home</a></li> <li><a title="Getting Started" href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection/getting-started">Getting Started</a></li> <li><a title="Tools for Success" href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection/tools-success">Tools for Success</a></li> <li><a href="https://studentmockelection.sos.ca.gov/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2F" target="_blank">Register</a></li> <li><a title="Brand and Graphics" href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection/brand-and-graphics">Mock Election Graphics</a></li> <li><a title="Frequently Asked Questions" href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection/faq">Student Mock Election FAQ</a></li> <li><a title="Ideas For Your Mock Election" href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection/find-ideas">Ideas for Your Mock Election</a></li> <li><a title="Our History" href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection/our-history">Our History</a></li> <li><a title="Mock Election Results" href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection/mock-election-results">Mock Election Results</a></li> <li><a title="Beyond the Mock Election" href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection/beyond-mock-election">Beyond the Mock Election</a></li> <li><a title="Contact Information - Student Mock Election" href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection/contact">Contact Information</a></li> <li><a title="California Student Mock Election" href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection">Student Mock Election Home</a></li> <li><a title="Contact Information - Elections and Voter Information" href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/contact">Contact Elections Division</a></li> </ul> <div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style"> <a class="addthis_button_preferred_1" title="Share on Facebook"></a> <a class="addthis_button_preferred_2" title="Share on Twitter"></a> <a class="addthis_button_preferred_3" title="Print Page"></a> <a class="addthis_button_preferred_4" title="Email Page"></a> <a class="addthis_button_compact" title="More Options"></a> <a class="addthis_counter addthis_bubble_style"></a> </div> <script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=xa-520958c859170f03"></script> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="contact-actions" role="complementary"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12"> <div id="contact-actions-outer"> <div id="contact-actions-inner"> <div id="contact-actions-call"> <i aria-hidden="true"><img src="https://www.sos.ca.gov/application/files/3815/9681/5355/icon-call.svg" alt="Call Us"></i> <h2>Call Us</h2> <a href="tel:9166536814">(916) 653-6814</a> </div> <div id="contact-actions-update"> <i aria-hidden="true"><img src="https://www.sos.ca.gov/application/files/5615/9681/5355/icon-updates.svg" alt="Receive Updates"></i> <h2>Receive Updates</h2> <a href="https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001mD8-WrHxKkJtq_d8ACgTG49fXSDgx5uBiT91-C1ejqYPoUkLY_ROK502nJXQNRcv-ONLp1372yy69JLhnvHxwM-PIw9e7v4xseQlc7hSQRk%3D">Sign up for e-updates</a> </div> <div id="contact-actions-write"> <i aria-hidden="true"><img src="https://www.sos.ca.gov/application/files/1415/9681/5356/icon-write.svg" alt="Write Us"></i> <h2>Write Us</h2> <a href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/administration/contact-information">Agency Contacts</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <footer id="footer" role="contentinfo">  <link href="https://theme.sos.ca.gov/css/election_botchat.css" rel="stylesheet"/> <section id="chatbot"> <div id="bot"></div> <svg height="0" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <filter id="drop-shadow"> <feGaussianBlur in="SourceAlpha" stdDeviation="3"></feGaussianBlur> <feOffset dx="2" dy="4" result="offsetblur"></feOffset> <feFlood flood-color="rgba(0,0,0,0.8)"></feFlood> <feComposite in2="offsetblur" operator="in"></feComposite> <feMerge> <feMergeNode></feMergeNode> <feMergeNode in="SourceGraphic"></feMergeNode> </feMerge> </filter> </svg> <div id="monarch" style="position:fixed;bottom:10px;right:10px;display:none;"> <div id="askme" style="position:absolute;left:-60px;top:-10px;"><img style="" src="https://theme.sos.ca.gov/img/askme.png" alt="Questions? 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Weber, Ph.D., California Secretary of State</span> <span class="p-street-address">1500 11th Street</span> <span class="p-locality">Sacramento</span>, <span class="p-region">California </span> <span class="p-postal-code">95814</span> <span class="p-tel"> <span class="sr-only type">Office:</span> <a class="value" href="tel:916653-6814" title="Call Our Office">(916) 653-6814</a> </span> </p> </address> </dd> </dl> <dl> <dt aria-label="Social Media" aria-labelledby="footer-social-media" class="sr-only">Social Media </dt> <dd id="footer-social-media"> <div id="footer-social-media-navigation" aria-label="Footer Social Media Navigation"> <ul role="menu"> <li role="none"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaSOS/" role="menuitem"><i class="fab fa-facebook" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="sr-only">Facebook</span></a></li> <li role="none"><a href="https://twitter.com/CASOSvote/" role="menuitem"><i class="fab fa-twitter" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="sr-only">Twitter</span></a></li> <li role="none"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/CaliforniaSOS/" role="menuitem"><i class="fab fa-youtube" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="sr-only">Youtube</span></a></li> <li role="none"><a href="https://www.snapchat.com/add/californiasos/" role="menuitem"><i class="fab fa-snapchat-ghost" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="sr-only">Snapchat</span></a></li> <li role="none"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/CaliforniaSOS_/" role="menuitem"><i class="fab fa-instagram" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="sr-only">Instagram</span></a></li> <li role="none"><a href="/administration/multimedia/available-rss-feeds/" role="menuitem"><i class="fa fa-rss" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="sr-only">RSS Feed</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </dd> </dl> </section> </div> </div> </section> <section id="footer-legal"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12"> <div id="legal-navigation" aria-label="Legal and Help"> <ul role="menu"> <li role="none"><a href="/administration/privacy-policy/" role="menuitem">Privacy Policy</a></li> <li role="none"><a href="/website-help/" role="menuitem">Website Help</a></li> <li role="none"><a href="/accessibility/" role="menuitem">Accessibility</a></li> </ul> <script type="text/javascript">$.fn.colorbox = function () {}</script> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> </nav> <section id="copyright"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12"> <small>Copyright © 2025 California Secretary of State</small> </div> </div> </div> </section> <a id="page-top" href="#top"><span class="sr-only">Top of Page</span></a> </footer>  <script src="https://theme.sos.ca.gov/js/botchat.js"></script> <script src="https://theme.sos.ca.gov/js/electionBotClient.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> $('footer#footer').addClass('chatbot-offset'); $('a#page-top').addClass('page-top-offset'); </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/packages/casos/themes/casos_theme/js/collapse.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/packages/casos/themes/casos_theme/js/sos.ca.gov.js"></script> </div> <script type="text/javascript" src="/concrete/js/features/imagery/frontend.js?ccm_nocache=3aee6c9d5e6ce6c8e7b58d1352839c0fc1ce047b"></script>  <script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-TC7VGHV');</script>  <script type="text/javascript" src="/_Incapsula_Resource?SWJIYLWA=719d34d31c8e3a6e6fffd425f7e032f3&ns=1&cb=1893747085" async></script></body> </html>

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Our History :: California Secretary of State