By By LYDIA GRIMES Feature Reporter
Students at W.S. Neal High School were given the opportunity to voice their choice in the presidential election in a special event sponsored by Channel One Oct. 19-20.
The Channel One Network, through Channel One News, broadcasts a daily 12 minute newscast that is beamed via satellite to each of 12,000 schools in the network community.
Nearly 1.4 million teens voted in the nation's largest mock elections. The Republican incumbent, President George Bush received 393 electoral votes and 55 percent of the total votes cast,while Sen. John Kerry received 145 electoral votes and 45 percent of the total votes. Five percent of teens selected the third-party option. In Alabama the votes were, Bush, 58.6 percent; Kerry, 38.1 percent and third party, 3.4 percent.
In an exit poll taken after their votes, teens were asked about the issues most important to them. A majority of 44 percent, said that the war in Iraq was the most important issue with the economy as a priority with 22 percent, followed by education, 14 percent, national security, 12 percent and health care, eight percent.