2026 theme is Empowering The Next Generation: Should The Voting Age Be Lowered?
“Voting eligibility has changed dramatically since our country was founded,” the League of Women Voters of Sarasota County points out in a news release. “Over our nation’s 250-year history, our country has repeatedly redefined who can vote,” the League adds in announcing its 2026 YVote contest for Sarasota County public high school students.
The theme of this year’s contest is Empowering The Next Generation: Should The Voting Age Be Lowered?, a news release says.
The contest “challenges students to write a compelling essay or create 2D artwork for or against lowering the voting age,” the release explains.
“All students in Sarasota County’s public charter and district public high schools are eligible to enter, regardless of whether they are able to register to vote,” the release adds. “Students will work independently on their entries,” the release notes; “the contest is not part of classroom activities or assignments.
“The first place winners in each category will receive $500; the second place winners will receive $300 and the third place winners will receive $200,” the release says. The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 23. The winners will be announced by mid-April, the release notes.
“The contest entry form, which includes a required release, contest rules and judging rubrics, can be downloaded here or from our YVOTE Contest webpage,” the release continues. “Essays cannot exceed 500 words and must be nonpartisan,” the release points out. The 2D artwork can measure 24 x 36 inches, 16 x 24 inches or 11 x 17 inches; it “should be submitted digitally (unframed),” the release adds.
“This year’s contest is funded in part by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation Ruth and James Whitney Charitable Fund, a League of Women Voters U.S. Youth Voter Registration Project grant and donations to the League of Women Voters of Sarasota County Education Fund, the release explains.
“The League of Women Voters of Sarasota County is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with a history of promoting voter participation on the local level,” the release points out. “LWVSRQ conducts local election candidate forums, hosts educational events, monitors local government bodies, and supports public education. Our commitment to the next generation of voters inspires this contest,“ the release adds.