Trump wins by landslide in Reality Experience vote

Monday, October 10, 2016
Cloverdale eighth-grader Ashley Purvis casts her vote for president as Cloverdale Middle School teacher Megan Schroeder looks on during Monday’s Reality Experience.
Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE

In a vote among middle school students attending the Reality Experience Monday at the Putnam County Fairgrounds, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump emerged a clear winner.

The vote was conducted among Putnam County and Eminence eighth-graders visiting the Greencastle League of Women Voters booth in the Community Building.

The students -- mostly 13-year-olds -- circled their presidential choice among Trump, Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton and Libertarian hopeful Gary Johnson.

Among four Putnam County schools, the Trump vote was consistent at 68, 67, 65 and 59.

The total outcome, as reported by the League of Women Voters, was Trump 277, Clinton 88 and Johnson 72.

That result was also reflected in the sentiment of several Cloverdale eighth-graders voting during the noontime session.

Asked how she voted, one girl responded simply, “Not Hillary.”

That sparked another girl in her group to tell all, “I voted for my cat.”

By school, the eighth-graders voted as follows:

-- Greencastle: Trump 65; Clinton 41; Johnson 20

-- Cloverdale: Trump 59; Clinton 13; Johnson 12

-- North Putnam: Trump 67; Clinton 13; Johnson 23

-- South Putnam: Trump 68; Clinton 15; Johnson 14

-- Eminence: Trump 18; Clinton 6; Johnson 3

Registered voters go to the polls for real on Nov. 8.