Ten students from Year 12 spent the day working at the recent WA State Election as Student Electoral Officers. This innovative program was opened up to Politics & Law students and involved them taking a paid position at a polling booth. Mercedes students worked at a range of locations including Morley and Scarborough and fulfilled a number of official duties on the day.
Amber Micale: “My favourite parts were counting the ballots in such a historic election like this, and collecting election signs from the different parties at the end of the day.”
Mayr Garswood: “I had a really great time working as a student worker because it was a great opportunity to work with, and get to know people I wouldn’t usually mix with, due to the age difference. I also got to learn about their experiences in past elections. I really enjoyed marking people’s names off the electoral roll. I felt like I was involving myself in the community. I also enjoyed the excitement of counting the votes at the end of the night.”
The opportunity allowed students to deepen their knowledge of the electoral processes at work in our state. It also provided students with a chance to enhance a number of 21st century skills including problem solving, dealing with others, working cooperatively and collaboratively and serving a greater good.
Mercedes College will provide student feedback to the WA Electoral Commission as part of this program. We have already had feedback on the great work these students did on the day and hope that this program will be available to students in future elections.
