Essay and Video Contest with Two $500 Prizes!

Y Vote is an initiative started by The League of Women’s Voters Greater New Brunswick Area to encourage high schools students to consider the importance of voter participation. This contest is ultimately aimed to encase voter participation and civic engagement amongst younger voters as their voices are essential within our democratic process.

Participating High Schools: Watchung Hills Regional, Montgomery Township, Pingry, Bernards High School, Bishop Ahr, Somerville, Metuchen, Highland Park, Bound Brook, Franklin, Bridgewater, J.P. Stevens, Edison, New Brunswick, North Plainfield, Hillsborough

How to Enter:

• Submit either a persuasive essay of up to 500 words or a video of up to three minutes in length focused on inspiring your peer group and others to vote in the coming Congressional Election and in all future elections.
• Entries should be creative, effective and inspirational. They should act as a call to action on the importance of using your vote to influence the direction of our democracy.
• Entries may address particular issues of importance to you as a voter. If you choose, they may include personal narrative elements.
• Entries may not include endorsements or criticisms of particular candidates.
• Essays must be submitted by individual students, but videos may be submitted by either an individual or by a team, including all names who worked on the video.
• Any student in a participating high school in Somerset or Middlesex County, whether or not you will be of voting age this year is eligible to participate

Prizes

Two $500.00 prizes will be awarded, one to the best essay and the other to the best video. If the winning video is submitted by a team, the prize will be shared among the members of the team. Notable nonwinners will be acknowledged with Honorable Mentions.

Submissions of Entries

• Essays must be sent as PDF files to the following email address: YVoteContest2018@gmail.com. They must have a cover page including the author’s Name, Age, Grade, and High School.
• Videos must be uploaded to the contestant’s own YouTube account with an “Unlisted” setting. A link to the video must be sent to the following email address: YVoteContest2018@gmail.com. The email must contain the following information for all members of the team: Name, Age, Grade, and High School.

Important Dates

Last Date for Submission of Entries: October 10, 2018

Announcement of Winners: October 25, 2018

Award Ceremony at Eagleton Institute of Politics: October 26, 2018

T-Shirts

Support this project with your own “Y VOTE” t-shirt featuring the graphic above! They are available for $19.99 at “Gimmee Gimmee Tees” in Somerville, NJ. If you buy 4 shirts, get one free!