Kids also voted, and they favored Obama, Franken

Kids vote
Senior Anna Kaye was one of 970 students at Stillwater High School to cast ballots in the Kids Vote election last week. Statewide, more than 75,000 children voted - and they overwhelmingly favored Barack Obama.
Photo courtesy Stillwater School District

Students in about 40 school districts across the state took part in 'Kids Voting Minnesota'. The students went with their parents to polling places and cast their own ballots in statewide and congressional races.

More than 75,000 students voted, with Barack Obama besting John McCain by more than 27,000 votes. Obama's 67 percent with the kids compares to the 54 percent he garnered from the adult vote.

Graphic: Kids vote
More than 75,000 students voted across the state of Minnesota.
MPR Graphic/Than Tibbetts

The kids mostly voted the same way their parents did, with a couple exceptions: Democrat Elwyn Tinklenberg beat Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann by 13 votes.

Lars Sandstrom, the executive director of Kids Voting Minnesota, said Democrats tended to fair better because more of the participating districts are in Democratic-leaning areas.

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"It's kind of the habit-development thing at the habit-development age," Sandstrom said.

But the mission, he adds, is non-partisan.

"Get the kids into the habit of being informed voters so that when they turn 18, they will more naturally vote."

The U.S. Senate race was also close. Al Franken won by 681 votes, but unlike the adults, this race won't have a recount.

Here's a rundown of the results from Kids Vote 2008.

Total ballots cast: 75,789

  • President

    John McCain 22,414

    Barack Obama 49,648

    Others 1,700

  • U.S. Senate

    Dean Barkley 7,218

    Norm Coleman 26,780

    Al Franken 27,461

    Others 3,238

  • Congress - 1st District

    Greg Mikkelson 422

    Brian Davis 1,245

    Tim Walz 1,951

  • Congress - 2nd District

    John Kline 4,919

    Steve Sarvi 2,691

  • Congress - 3rd District

    Dave Dillon 321

    Erik Paulsen 944

    Ashwin Madia 772

  • Congress - 4th District

    Ed Matthews 4,793

    Betty McCollum 9,926

  • Congress - 5th District

    Bill McGaughy 642

    Barb White Davis 1,253

    Keith Ellison 4,169

  • Congress - 6th District

    Bob Anderson 399

    Michele Bachmann 1,171

    Elwyn Tinklenberg 1,184

  • Congress - 7th District

    Glen Menze 2,102

    Collin Peterson 3,579

  • Congress - 8th District

    Michael Cummins 1,681

    James Oberstar 2,444

  • Constitutional Question

    YES 15,644

    NO 6,066

  • MN Supreme Court Seat 3

    Paul Anderson 18,343

    Tim Tinglestad 13,673

  • MN Supreme Court Seat 4

    Lorie Gildea 17,024

    Deborah Hedlund 18,942