Lao Students Learn About U.S. Presidential Elections

Oct. 22, 2012

Students enrolled in the U.S. Embassy’s English ACCESS program pose for a photo at the conclusion of the “U.S. Presidential Elections 2012” mock election activity, organized by the Embassy.

This coming November, millions of Americans will vote to choose the next President of the United States of America. This decision will have world-wide implications, so it’s no surprise that Lao people, too, are interested in the outcome of the presidential election. In order to create more understanding about the U.S. presidential election system, the U.S. Embassy organized a mock presidential election for Lao students on Oct. 18.

About 60 secondary school students participated in the mock election, with most coming from the School for Gifted & Ethnic Students. These students are also enrolled in the U.S. Embassy’s English ACCESS program, which provides them with 2 years of free supplementary English tutoring sessions.

Just as in a real U.S. presidential election, the students first selected candidates from the different political parties. These candidates then campaigned for votes by meeting with voters, debating the issues, and developing strategies. Finally, the students cast their votes between the final two candidates to pick the winner of the election.

To be the new “President of the USA,” the voters chose Ms. Kimeta Vachoima. Ms. Kimeta campaigned on a strong message of economic empowerment and personal responsibility. In her acceptance speech, she said she would work hard to live up to the voters’ expectations.

During the course of the mock election, the students also learned about the role of the media in elections, about how polls are taken, and about the power of advertising to affect voters’ opinions.

The real U.S. presidential elections will be held Nov. 6, with the results to be announced the morning of Nov. 7 (Laos time).