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PHOTOS: Preparing to Vote for the First Time

New English speakers and several newly minted citizens (having spent the required five years waiting to become Americans) were brought through the voting process by a quartet of enthusiastic instructors at NSCAP headquarters on Central Street.

 
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Proud citizen Noura Nthelia from Morocco is ready to vote for the first time.
Photos (28)

Photos

Instructor Marie Snow gives a last minute pep talk to volunteers handing out ballots. Photos of the political contestants sit above the voting booths.
The first mock ballot is cast by Gleni Solano, who brought along sleepy two-year-old Ebans.
Bao Li takes her time to be sure that she makes her right choice.
Prospective voters line up to wait for an empty voting booth.
Wei Ma affixes an American Flag stick on to his shirt. All voters received a flag after depositing their vote in the ballot box.
A new voter makes sure the flag is firmly stuck onto his coat.

On Nov. 1, 45 adults in North Shore Community Action Programs' English for Speakers of Other Languages program participated in a mock election to get ready for when they will cast their ballots for real next Tuesday.

The students have come to the United States and Peabody from all over the globe -- Morocco, Albania, Senegal are just a few of the native lands represented.

NSCAP staff set up in the agency's offices at 75 Central St. with copies of the ballot, thanks to the City Clerk's office, and one of the temporary voting booths from City Hall.

Three teachers (who are all from Peabody) have spent the past few weeks teaching their adult students vocabulary related to the candidates, their positions and the statewide ballot questions this year.

Several of the students are also new American citizens who will be voting for the first time on Nov. 6, while some students still have to finish out their five-year waiting period to become citizens -- they served as volunteers instead in Thursday's mock election.

As for the results, it was a Democratic landslide all the way.

President/Vice President Candidate Votes
Obama & Biden 42
Romney & Ryan 0
Johnson & Gray 1
Stein & Honkala 0
Senator in Congress
Scott Brown 2
Elizabeth Warren 39
Representative in Congress

John Tierney 36
Richard Tisei 4
Governor's Councilor
Maura Ciardiello 1
Eileen Duff 40
Senator in General Court
Richard Jolitz 1
Joan Lovely 39
Ballot Question 1
Yes 17
No 14
Ballot Question 2

Yes 2
No 32
Ballot Question 3
Yes 2
No 32
Related Topics: ESOL Students, NSCAP, and election 2012

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