They may not be old enough to actually choose the next president of the United States, but they have opinions and Wednesday, the second and third-graders at Ironton Elementary School made those opinions known in the school’s own election.

For the last couple of weeks, the teachers have explained what an election is, who is running for president and how the election system works.

“We want them to understand how important it is to have that right and the freedom to vote,” teacher Sueann Day explained.

And it appears the kids have been listening not only to their teachers but what they hear at home.

“It was interesting to hear their ideas about both candidates, ideas they had gotten from TV and their parents,” teacher Julie Ball explained.

Indeed. Third-grader Zoe Bass said she supports Barack Obama for president.

“He wants taxes to go lower and he wants kids to learn and he wants the poor to take away from the rich because the rich have been taking the poor’s money,” she said.

Fellow third-grader David Cremeans said he supports John McCain.

“He (Obama) wants to take away my family’s money because my dad works and that would be less money in our pockets,” he said.

Second-grader Lathan Myers said someday, he would like to see his name on a campaign sign: Myers for president. What would he do if he were commander- in- chief?

“I would make an international ice cream day,” he said. “I would give soldiers new guns.”

And he would paint the White House gold.

Fellow second-grader Aloura Jackson would paint the white house pink if she were president.

Each classroom, each grade level and the entire school’s totals will be graphed, meaning what the kids learn about civics will be dovetailed with a math lesson.

While repainting the White House may be youthful fancy, teachers said they think students have gotten the message: they have a part to play in their country’s future. Teacher Kathy Weisgarber said she hopes the end result of this endeavor in current events is that, “kids understand the process and then one day when they’re 18, we want them to go out and register to vote.”