CHELMSFORD — The presidential election may not be until Tuesday, but students at Chelmsford High School have already cast their ballots during a mock election on Oct. 16.

Class by class, students in grades 9-12 filed into the Chelmsford High School cafeteria and voted for their favorite candidate using an electronic ballot on a Chromebook via Google Form.

To make the voting process more efficient, only the presidential candidates appeared on the ballot; no other ballot choices or questions were available.

A total of 615 votes were cast during the mock election.

“It was more than I expected,” CHS civics teacher Danny Richter said, explaining that history and civics students helped drive interest. “It exceeded our expectations.”

To achieve a successful mock election, Richter said there was a lot of coordination and collaboration with the technology department in setting up the Chromebooks and creating the Google form.

In their civics course, students study a lot of current events, including politics and government.

“Our class is very conversational,” said senior Elizabeth Falcone. “We would talk about the presidential debates and learn more about politics. We would also discuss the general election process, which I think is interesting.”

Civics student Caroline Pitts, a senior, said she enjoyed the experience of helping out and participating in the mock election.

“I think it’s a good opportunity, especially for the seniors,” she said. “There’s a good percentage of kids who will be able to vote this year, so it puts into perspective how important it is to vote.”

At the CHS polls, numerous civics students helped guide their peers through the voting process, the same way poll workers do during municipal or national elections.

“We encourage them to volunteer at the polls as well,” Richter said. “In general, the children were enthusiastic and respectful. I thought the process went as smoothly as it could have. I was most impressed with the turnout and the help of the student volunteers.”

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the state coordinator for the Massachusetts National Student Election, a program designed to teach students about the power of voting.

“We’re going to get the results from this school and send them to the JFK Library,” said Stephanie Quinn, Chelmsford Public Schools social studies coordinator. “And they collect them from schools all over the country.”

Falcone said he is looking forward to seeing the final results of the mock election.

“It’s important to see where future generations will lean, more to the left or to the right,” she said. “That’s the most exciting thing for me.”

Once all results have been collected, the JFK Library will post the final totals on the National Student Mock Election page at jfklibrary.org/learn/education/teachers/civic-education-programs-and-materials/national-studentparent-mock-election.