UMD’s Political Science Association held a mock election in Kirby Student Center on Nov. 6, the day before Duluth went to the voting booth. The event hosted local candidates looking for a last minute boost in their campaigns. 

The event was held in order to boost student participation in the electoral process. Historically, UMD has had low voter turnout compared to the rest of Duluth. For PSA President Sam Schmall, having students know their choices is an important part of increasing turnout. 

“I think getting the candidates up here for students to understand who they’re voting for will be helpful as they will be able to talk to these people in person,” said Schmall in an interview with WDIO.

The mock election focused on the mayoral race between incumbent Emily Larson and challenger Roger Reinert. Only Larson attended the event, speaking to students about the issues they face. She won 86.3% of the mock vote, easily giving her the victory. 

While Roger Reinert was the only invited candidate not to attend, his absence from the event did not translate to his showing on Election Day. He managed to get elected to the mayor’s office with 60% of the vote, winning nearly every precinct in Duluth. Only Precinct 10, where UMD is located, strongly supported Larson. 

Candidates for Duluth City Council also made an appearance at the event. Jenna Yeakle, Lynn Nephew, Arik Forsman, Miranda Pacheco, Tim Meyer, Terese Tomaneck, Ginka Tarnowski, Wendy Durrwachter and Mike Mayou all stopped by to show support for the event and to campaign to students. Forsman, Nephew and Durrwachter all won their respective races.