Editor,

My government class recently performed a simulation in which we voted on fake candidates based on either their photographs or their biographies. The goal of this activity was to demonstrate the effects of Americans voting on candidates based on appearance or party as opposed to the candidate’s views on social and economic issues.

With only the biographies or photos to go by, my classmates and I didn’t know who we were voting for. The results of this activity were startling to say the least. Candidates who had a high number of votes included Adolf Hitler, Ted Bundy (yes, the serial killer), and a pair of bankers who are famous for embezzling money from corporate companies. This goes to show how important it is that we, as voters, know the candidate’s stance on issues! While I’m sure that most presidential candidates aren’t serial killers nor Nazi dictators, this activity still demonstrates how important it is for the preservation of the government that voters do not elect political leaders based on their appearance.

I hope this serves as a wake-up call for Americans, and that voters are reminded next election to understand who they’re really voting for.

Kearsten Browning

Noblesville High School senior