Each election year since 2000, the students in Berg Middle School’s Social Studies classes have participated a bit more actively in their election curriculum by holding a mock election.

The election mirrors the national election as closely as possible, requiring students to register to “vote” weeks in advance, verifying their identity at the polls, and casting secret ballots at their polling location — which just happened to be Berg’s Library Media Center, complete with a TV streaming CNN, red, white and blue streamers and plenty of oatmeal cookies for hungry voters.

According to Social Studies teacher Gary Larson, the activity serves as more than just a hands-on wrap-up of the students’ election unit.