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Students at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School weren't exactly conflicted when they voted in a mock election last week.

By an 80-20 margin, Republicans swept races for president, U.S. Senate and U.S. House District 4. Just under two-thirds of high school students cast ballots – 64.2 percent – with the highest turnout recorded in the senior class at 85 percent. Only 41 percent of freshmen voted, which was the lowest of all four grades.

Jim Thomas' American Government class organized the mock election as part of its unit on elections. The instructor shared a questionnaire from the Sentinel-News with a few voters, whose responses were returned anonymously "due to privacy concerns," according to Thomas.

• President: Donald Trump – 80 percent, Joseph Biden – 20 percent

The president's supporters at H-M-S listed a variety of reasons outlining why they felt he deserved four more years.

Some believed Trump's record in the Oval Office helped him stand head and shoulders above Biden.

"He has currently done great things and will continue to do so," wrote one respondent.

Other Trump boosters liked that he "isn't a career politician" or thought "Biden is weird," while some were less than thrilled about picking the incumbent president.

"I go to a school that if you think otherwise, it's uncool," wrote one student. "Both candidates aren't good, but oh well."

Many voters believed Trump was dealt a bad hand with the COVID-19 pandemic and shouldn't be judged by the fall out.

"He's done his best with the situations he has been given," wrote one student. "No one knows the correct way to handle COVID-19 and I think he has done his best and made the best of what he can."

• U.S. Senate: Joni Ernst – 79.8 percent, Theresa Greenfield – 20.2 percent

Down ballot, incumbent U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst received a groundswell of support from mock election voters.

"Besically, if you vote for Trump you gotta do the whole thing," wrote one student.

"Her ads were less annoying," stated another.

Other students cast their ballot for Ernst with a shrug.

"I don't know much about her, but I don't hear a lot of bad things about her, either."

Greenfield's support was fleeting; however, those who did vote for her thought she would be an asset to Iowa in the Senate.

"She will fight for Iowa and not the special interest," wrote one student.

• U.S. House District 4: Randy Feenstra – 80.8 percent, J.D. Scholten –19.2 percent

Congressional candidate Randy Feenstra received the most support of anyone else on the ballot in the mock election. The state senator from Hull breezed by Scholten, who was vying for the Fourth District crown for the second time in two years.

"[Feenstra] is from around here and has great core values," wrote one supporter.

Scholten's boosters picked him because "he was the underdog," and also because of who he wasn't.

"He's a good guy and Feenstra is Steve King 2.0," stated one voter.

• Election cycle creates mixed feelings

The democratic process can be messy at times, and that reality wasn't lost on H-M-S students.

"It's mainly chaos. I don't like politics," wrote one voter.

NICK PEDLEY/SENTINEL-NEWS

H-M-S students stuff the ballot box during the mock election Oct. 29. The final tally aligned closely with local results in Tuesday's general election.

Others said this election has piqued their interest in politics.

"I don't love it, but I don't hate it. This election has made me more involved than years past," stated another student.

Students also noticed the divisive and partisan political atmosphere that has taken hold in America.

"It feels like it has to be black and white. If you align with one side you must follow all ideals of that side," observed one voter. "It also feels like everyone isn't able to have a conversation and listen to the other side. It is no longer about why you should vote for a candidate, but rather why you shouldn't vote for the opposition."

Even with their ballots cast, some students felt overwhelmed and a little apathetic about the whole ordeal.

"I think there is a lot more to politics than I understand, but I think it's a lot of drama," observed one voter.