Preliminary results of the 2008 MyVote California student mock election — involving more than 240,000 students from 450 middle and high schools across the state — show Barack Obama and John McCain are the picks of the next generation of voters.

Launched in November by Secretary of State Debra Bowen and Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, MyVote California is a hands-on civic engagement project for high school students that culminated in the statewide mock election, held this week.

“The MyVote mock election wasn’t just about taking the political pulse of California students; it was about engaging them in our democracy,” Bowen said in a news release. “I wanted to see how students would feel about issues that would directly affect their lives and their wallets, which is why MyVote included three simulated ballot initiatives dealing with issues that legislators are actually grappling with today.”

Students received one ballot that listed all 48 of the candidates certified for this election; the students then chose only one candidate. Students had the option of voting for a candidate in any of the state’s six recognized political parties, and apparently tilted heavily toward the Democratic side.

Barack Obama got 35.1 percent of the total presidential vote (27,845 votes, which is 55.6 percent of those who voted Democratic); Hillary Clinton got 22.5 percent of the total (17,813, or 35.6 percent of Democratic voters); and John Edwards got 3.7 percent of the total (2,945, or 5.9 percent of the Democratic voters).

John McCain got 4.8 percent of the total vote (3,773 votes, or 29.9 percent of those voting Republican); Mike Huckabee got 3.6 percent of the total (2,822 votes, or 20.1 percent of the Republican voters); and Rudy Giuliani got 3.0 percent of the total (2,345 votes, or 15.2 percent of the Republican voters).

The first ballot measure asked, “Should the registration fee that every car or truck owner is required to pay each year be based, in part, on the amount of pollution the vehicle emits?” The results: 45 percent (28,341) said yes, while 55 percent (34,665) said no.

The second ballot measure asked, “Should every eligible citizen be required to vote?” The results: 40.4 percent (25,232) said yes, while 59.6 percent (37,204) said no.

And the third ballot measure asked, “Should people who use e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging and the social networks to bully or harass others be allowed to do so as part of their constitutionally protected right to free speech?” The results: 41.4 percent (26,474) said yes, while 58.6 percent (37,529) said no.

“Some California high school seniors will cast their first ballots next week and many more students will become voters by the November general election,” Bowen said. “The MyVote mock election gives the next generation of California voters hands-on exposure to our democracy, and I hope they’re inspired to make voting the habit of a lifetime.’’

These preliminary results are based on returns from 280 of the 450 schools participating in MyVote. Complete Mock Election results are available on the Secretary of State’s MyVote California Web site, and will be updated as schools report their results.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has just named Riverside County Superintendent of Schools David Long as his next Secretary of Education.

The Secretary of Education holds no policy-making authority — that’s vested in the state Department of Education, headed by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell — but instead serves as the governor’s main education advisor. The first person to hold the post, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, resigned in April 2005 as polls showed the governor’s popularity plummeting in large part due to his handling of education. Alan Bersin held the job from July 2005 through December 2006, and Scott Himelstein has been the acting secretary since January.

“David will add tremendous knowledge and skill to our great education team and I know he will work in a bipartisan effort to make sure our kids come out on top,” the governor said in a news release. “I am excited to work with David on improving student achievement, bringing up low-performing schools, hiring and keeping quality teachers, building new facilities, promoting career tech, increasing accountability and helping kids pass the high school exit exam.”

Long, 67, has been the Riverside County superintendent since 1999, overseeing 23 school districts and more than 400,000 students. Before that, he was the Lake Elsinore Unified School District’s superintendent from 1992 to 1999 and held the same position with the Banning Unified School District from 1989 to 1992.

Earlier yet, Long was assistant superintendent for Mason City Community Schools in Mason City, Iowa from 1987 to 1989 and principal of Roosevelt Middle School from 1985 to 1987. He also served as associate principal for Mason City High School from 1982 to 1985. Long began his teaching career in 1961 as an instructor at Sheffield High School in Sheffield, Iowa where he also was the athletic director and coach for several of the School’s sports teams.

“I am privileged to be able to continue to serve the many students of California through this new position as secretary of education,” Long said in the release. “I look forward to working with the Governor to ensure every Californian receives the best possible education and every teacher and faculty member is provided the tools and resources needed to make that happen.”

Long, a Republican from Canyon Lake, earned a Doctorate degree in educational administration from Iowa State University, a Masters degree in physical education from Missouri State College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education from the University of Northern Iowa. The job doesn’t require Senate confirmation and pays $175,000 per year.