Arsalyn SimVote - 2020
Presidential Primary 

This simulated voting experience allows students to locate themselves within the political spectrum. The Arsalyn Program will compile data collected from students, grades 8-12, across the greater Los Angeles area to learn more about what parties, ideas and issues resonate across the group.  Voting results will be shared through the Arsalyn web site.
Arsalyn provides a $150 teacher stipend for supporting a minimum of 100 students.

Arsalyn is supporting up to 50 teachers with a maximum of 2 teachers per school.

This project is not integrated with any specific curricular materials and will be nonpartisan in nature.
Teachers are not asked to do any special coverage of the elections.
At teacher’s request, the online ballot can be customized to your school community’s candidates and initiatives.
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The vote is conducted through Survey Monkey that students can complete using a computer, phone or any other digital device.     
For a $150 stipend, each teacher facilitates a simple 3-step process with a minimum of 100 students:
 
Step 1:  Relay signed letters by January 31.  Teachers are emailed two files: the Arsalyn parent notification form and a list of Participant ID numbers.  A 10-day window is allotted for teachers to assign ID numbers to students who return the form with parent permission.  By January 31, teachers relay parent forms and verify the number of successfully assigned Participant IDs.
 
*Teachers retain their list of Participant IDs to assist students who lose an ID# before registering or voting.  Any submissions that do not have a valid ID# will not be counted.  Any Participant ID that is used more than once will not be counted. 
 
Step 2:  Student Voter Registration using a Participant ID -- February 5 - February 18:   
  • A list of Participant ID numbers is provided to assign to students who returned parent permission forms.
  • A link for student voter registration is open for over two weeks.  Registration includes a brief survey.  Students will not be asked their name; only demographic data (i.e. school, birth date gender).
  • Retain the list of Participant IDs to assign students who lose an ID  before registering or voting.
Students use their Participant IDs to register and take the pre-vote survey between February 5 to February 18.
Any ID used more than once will invalidate that ID submission.
 
Step 3:  Voting with Participant ID & Post-Survey -- February 24 - March 3:  
  • A ballot link is emailed to teachers and open to student voting for nine days.
​Students must use their Participant ID to vote. Any ID that is used more than once will invalidate that ID submission.
  • Teachers can check with Arsalyn on the level of student responses during the available window.
  • At the conclusion of the survey period, please destroy the Participant ID list.
  • Results for both the registration survey and California Primary SimVote will be posted on the Arsalyn site, including school site tallies with total project results.