AUGUSTA – More than 65,000 ballots were cast this week in what is believed to be the largest Student Mock Election in Maine history. More than 400 schools registered for the Student Mock Election, and more than 600 students participated in events at the Bangor Auditorium and Augusta Civic Center on Oct. 26 to receive and tabulate results from participating schools.

The final results reported from more than 275 of the participating schools were released on Thursday. Students favored Sen. John Kerry for president, as well as Representatives Tom Allen and Mike Michaud for re-election. Maine students voted against Question 1 regarding property taxes but favored Question 2, which would bar certain bear hunting practices. Complete results are available online at www.maine.gov/mockelection.

Maine’s Student Mock Election was coordinated by Secretary of State Dan A. Gwadosky. It is part of the National Student-Parent Mock Election, a nonpartisan democracy education project that provided students in all 50 states an opportunity to cast ballots for the 2004 General Election.