NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Channel One News, the premiere television news network for teens, today declared President Barack Obama as the winner of "OneVote 2012," Channel One News's nationwide student mock-election, held in advance of the Presidential election. Pulling in 50% of the vote, Barack Obama wins the election by a six point margin, with former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney holding 44% of the teen ballot. The 2012 results show a substantially smaller margin than seen in OneVote 2008, when then-Senator Obama beat Senator John McCain by thirteen points.
With just days left on the campaign trail and Hurricane Sandy stalling the candidates in their campaign push, President Obama and Governor Romney's endgame stays focused on pulling in voters from the remaining key battleground states. However, according to OneVote voters, it's now clear who gets their vote.
Results show President Obama as the victor in nearly the majority of the so-called "swing states", including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Iowa and Colorado, with Governor Romney prevailing in New Hampshire, Missouri, and Virginia.
Students in more than 8,400 schools nationwide participated in the campaign created to engage them in the electoral process and to provide vital civic education by giving recognition to the voice and opinions of this next influential group of voters. Every OneVote Presidential poll has correctly predicted the national outcome since the inception of the program in 1992.
Kent Haehl, Channel One's CEO, commented, "We are proud to once again bring OneVote to the nation's youth. Through Channel One's dedicated programming and the addition of innovative 21st century learning tools, OneVote is providing a fully interactive and valuable program preparing this important generation of eligible voters in 2016."
Adding, "For the past four terms we have seen OneVote accurately predict the winner, and while the actual results on November 6 may differ, it is clear that OneVote results continue to reflect the national discourse and the conversations taking place at home and around the dinner table."
Through polls conducted by Channel One, teens shared their opinions about the critical issues shaping their votes. The majority of teen voters stated that the candidates' stance on the Economy was the most important issue (44%) – up five percent from 39% in 2008. Education also rose in importance for students - up three percent since the last election (16%), followed by the National Debt (16%), Social Issues (9%), and showing nearly 50% decline for Environmental concerns - 7% vs. 13% in 2008.
Select teens served as Team OneVote on-air political commentators throughout the Fall, sharing their views and community opinions through Channel One's national daily broadcast and documenting their experience on the Channel One blog, RIGHT NOW.
OneVote 2012 marked Channel One's fifth run of the student mock-election held in advance of the national Presidential election. OneVote expanded its offerings this year with election-focused interactive content available through Channel One Interactiv, the company's innovative partnership with global education company Promethean.
OneVote 2012:
About Channel One News
Peabody and Telly Award-winning Channel One News, an Alloy Media + Marketing company, is the leading television news network for teens. The dynamic, daily broadcast and supplementary educational resources inform, educate, and inspire teens, connecting them with important current events and the world around them. Channel One News has covered fast-breaking global events from regions such as Haiti, Chile, Mexico, Sierra Leone, North Korea, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Germany and Qatar. Through its partnership with CBS News Productions, Channel One News draws on the vast resources of CBS News, ensuring worldwide coverage wherever and whenever news breaks - and always from a teen perspective. Channel One News programming has been featured on leading networks and news programs, including CBS, CNN, NBC Nightly News and Today Show, ABC News and Nightline. Visit the Webby Award-winning website http://www.ChannelOne.com to learn more.