NEW YORK, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- If kids could vote, Sen. John Kerry would be the next U.S. president, Nickelodeon network's "Kids' Vote" indicates.
Children across the country exercised their votes in the network's poll held online Tuesday.
Nickelodeon said it has held the "Kids' Vote" every election year since 1988, and its voters have correctly predicted the winner in the last four presidential campaigns.
In this year's vote, Kerry received 57 percent of the vote, to President George W. Bush's 43 percent. The vote tally was almost 400,000, the announcement said.
In 2000, Bush was predicted the winner over Vice President Al Gore with 55 percent of the vote.
"The 'Kids' Vote' seems to work as a good barometer of the actual presidential vote because, developmentally, kids between the ages of 2 and 11 share the same opinions and outlooks as their parents," said Nickelodeon President Cyma Zarghami.
"What really counts, though, is the fact that kids got interested in the campaign and let their voices be heard. That's a great habit to develop and hold on to as they grow into responsible adults."
