While most elementary school kids on Monday were more likely to be discussing the results of the Super Bowl than Super Tuesday, students at Westmore Elementary in Orem were chatting about why they voted for Mitt, John, Hillary or Barack.

Foreshadowing the actual Western States Presidential Primary precinct balloting that will take place at the school -- 1150 S. Main St. in Orem from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today -- Westmore held its own Children's Primary Vote on Monday for students in grades 3-6.

The hands-on civic lesson in presidential politics is the brainchild of Westmore assistant principal Jessie Jensen, who has been actively following the 2008 presidential race and has served many hours as a campaign volunteer for one of the candidates. In order to avoid passing on a bias to students, she refused to divulge to students the candidate's identity until after Monday's Children's Vote Primary.

Her idea for Westmore was spurred by a national news report she saw about New Hampshire school children who participate in their own mock presidential primaries.

"I guess, statistically, it's been shown that whoever won according to the children's vote, won the actual [state primary] vote," she said. "I thought it would be interesting to see what kids at Westmore thought. It's a good way for the children to see how it works."

In Westmore's results (to be announced this morning on the school's weekly TV broadcast), more students cast Democratic ballots than Republican ballots (189 to 179) and Democrat Barack Obama received the most votes at 145. Mitt Romney received 124, Hillary Clinton, 44, John McCain, 24, and Ron Paul, 20 votes.

Students got to vote for a candidate in each of two parties.

A week prior to Monday's big vote, Jensen presented 30-minute overviews of each of the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, their photo, biographies and platforms, and information about the political parties and primary process to each classroom. Her source of information was the 2008 Election Center at CNN.com.

"I showed them maps of the states that have already voted and the states voting on Super Tuesday," Jensen said.

After a presentation in one of the school's third-grade classes, the children were so enthralled and filled with questions that their teacher had to shoo them out of the classroom for recess, she said.

Three sixth-grade members of Westmore's Student Council had identical voting records: they all voted for Illinois Democrat Obama and Republican Romney.

"He's a Mormon and I'm Mormon and he believes the same as I do," said Tess Wolfert, the student council's vice president, about her vote for Romney.

Maddie Clegg, president of Westmore's student council, said she may have voted for Romney because of her parents' Republican leanings.

"I've asked them who they want to vote for and why," she said.

Wolfert said the school's vote triggered an interest and awareness about the 2008 bid for the Oval Office she didn't previously have.

"Ever since [Jensen] came in, I've been reading the newspaper more and watching the news," she said.

Hannah Patterson, another student council member, said her votes were influenced by Romney and Obama's educational backgrounds. She said the experience was valuable for when she and her classmates reach voting age.

Sara Hansen, a third-grade teacher at Westmore, recently spoke with parents during parent-teacher conferences who were surprised at how excited their children were to participate in the school's primary.

"I think it makes them feel kind of grown up," she said. "They see what's happening on TV and what their mom and dad are doing. It gives them a sense of responsibility."

Though Jensen has long awaited today's primary in Utah -- she campaigned at both the Iowa and Nevada caucuses on behalf of Mitt Romney -- she's glad students at Westmore also have a little bit more knowledge about a key American political process.

"It emphasizes how it's pretty cool that they have a chance to say who the president is," she said.

• Michael Rigert can be reached at 443-3265 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it