During advisory Monday, Nov. 4, students opening the online ballot for the mock election were surprised to find frivolous candidates and questions, the result of unauthorized edits made after students mistakenly gained access to the form.

The mock election was organized by North’s Next Gen Voices club in collaboration with the Center for Civic Service and Engagement (CCES). Next Gen Voices had originally planned for students to vote online through the Google Form or in person at the International Cafe, which had physical ballots and information about the ballot questions. 

“It’s disappointing and reveals a lack of seriousness,” said junior Amani Arunga, one of Next Gen Voices’ presidents. “We were excited to host this mock election during such a big year. We were interested in seeing your opinions even though many aren’t eligible to vote yet,” she added.

Claudia Wu and Terry Yoffie, the directors of CCES, posted an update on Schoology thanking those who voted and officially announcing the cancellation of the mock election Monday afternoon.

“Usually, students would report this mistake, but this time, students decided to put Mickey Mouse on the ballot and use this as a joke,” said Yoffie.

According to Wu, North has held mock elections during past elections. “We were hoping for the students to see and practice voting. Four years ago, in 2020, 1300 students and staff voted, and we were hoping to break that record,” said Wu.

The Next Gen Voices club members were also disappointed by the ballot mishap. 

“Everyone in the club had worked really hard to make the mock election happen, so we were excited for the day to come, but when we saw the Google Form being altered to the point we had to close submissions, it was definitely a big letdown,” said junior Emily Chen. 

Other students had been eager for the chance to express their opinions. 

“I was really excited to vote, especially since I’m not old enough to vote in the actual election, so it is a shame,” said junior Sophia Fialkosky.