Students in Transition Year at St Louis High School in Rathmines, Dublin, expressed political savvy last week as they prepared for the count in a mock presidential election. Like true candidates they remained concerned about looking their best for the photographers and cobbled together some last-minute deals to secure those precious second preference votes. The election had been gruelling for some, but educational for all.

The five students standing for election, each with their own campaign manager and team of canvassers, were campaigning on behalf of the real candidates facing the electorate this Thursday. The school's politics teacher, Sharon Muldoon, said the four-week campaign had generated a political awareness and interest which normally would not be there. "It makes it real for them," said Muldoon. "They're now using words like `according to the Constitution' and `presidential right' where they would never use those words. Without an election you would spend a year to get them to say the same thing."

As soon as it emerged that four women were running for the office, teachers and students from this allgirls school felt it was an ideal context for their own election. The late introduction of Derek Nally upset the gender bias, but a brave 15-year old, Ann-Marie Brannigan, accepted the challenge. His label as "token male" with many students, however, earned him only 20 first preference votes out of an electorate of over 850.

Dana Rosemary Scallon, represented by Noreen Deevy (16), came behind the big three achieving 95 first preferences. She said she found it very difficult at times because she felt there was little to say. "Every question they asked me," said Deevy, "all I could say was that I represent the people, not the party system."

The students felt that the candidates were not saying anything to young people. Mary Banotti was accused of being rooted in the past, with her continued references to her political lineage. Even Adi Roche's planned children's commission seemed to work against her.

The race for front-runner was very close with only four votes separating Mary Banotti (Sharon Whelan) and Mary McAleese (Alice Neylon) on the first count. When the 165 transfers of Adi Roche (Ruth Fitzsimons, 15) were finally divided there was no sign of any electoral pacts - Banotti, in fact, gained only 27 per cent of her transfers. McAleese's final tally was 332 votes, Banotti had a total of 280.

In another mock election at St Mary's Diocesan School in Drogheda, Co Louth, last Wednesday, McAleese had a runaway victory on the second count. After Nally's elimination with only 55 first preferences out of a valid poll of 571, McAleese reached her winning total of 292. Her nearest rival was Banotti with a total poll of 105. The real surprise of this election was that Roche was beaten back into fourth place behind Dana.

"It's clear from this poll that Mary McAleese has benefited from recent publicity about her," said teacher Sean Higgins. "Many of these student voters were impressed by her reported role in the peace process. And with a result on the second count," added Higgins, "this suggest that the McAleese candidacy is gaining in strength."

In these mock elections it's as important to take part as to win. Not only did the students get actively involved as opposed to sitting back and listening in a classroom, they learned that to be elected one needs the power of advertising, good speech-writers and a solid team. While the rare tricks of a Machiavelli may not be in themselves desirable, the pressure placed in St Louis High School on friends of young sisters often bore fruit. There was even wild talk of bribery with backstage passes to the school's forthcoming musical.

More important than these lessons in realpolitik is the confidence and enthusiasm generated throughout both schools.