WINNERS
1st Place
Thai
2nd Place
Salena
3rd Place
Ana
GoVote Poster Contest
General
By participating in the contest, each contestant (and his/her parent or legal guardian) unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of the League of Women Voters of the Greater Grand Rapids Area (LWVGGRA).
Who Can Enter?
The LWVGGRA GoVote Poster Contest & Scholarship is open to all high school students registered in Kent County, Michigan.
What Permissions are Required?
All contestants must complete and sign the Release Form at the bottom of the contest application. Contestants under the age of 18 must also have signed permission from a parent or legal guardian to enter the contest.
Legal Requirements
All work must be original or in the Public Domain. It cannot be copyrighted. No professional assistance is allowed. Adults may provide verbal guidance but all entries must be produced solely by student contestants.
At the time of entry, contestants must submit the completed and signed contest application and release form for themselves as well as for anyone whose words or image appears in the poster.
The winning entries will be displayed at public venues and will be returned to contestants within 6 months from the end of the contest. As acknowledged in the required release form, the LWVGGRA may use the work in print publications, online publications, presentations, websites, social media and promotional materials. If technical or other issues compromise the contest, the LWVGGRA may modify, postpone or cancel the contest.
Submitting Entries
Entries should be submitted digitally, with the Contest Application and Release Form, to lwvggr@gmail.com. Include the subject heading “2026 GoVote Poster Contest & Scholarship”. The deadline for submission is February 14, 2026, 11:59 PM. Late entries will not be accepted.
Scholarship Awards
The first place entry will receive $300, the second place entry will receive $200 and the third place entry will receive $100. The top three finalists will be invited to a reception at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the winners will be announced, and their posters will be on public display at the museum.
Judging
Contest judges will use the following contest rubric for scoring each entry. The rubric
lists the criteria for judging and the point value for each element.
2026 GoVote Poster Contest & Scholarship Judging Rubric
The GoVote Poster & Scholarship submission will be judged on three elements:
- Art Creation- a visual image that reflects the need to vote in elections
- Civic Participation-a message encouraging the local community to vote
- Synergy- a submission that communicates a strong relationship between the visual art and the message about the need to vote.
The rubric below lists these three criteria and possible points that the judges will award to select winners of the League of Women Voters of Greater Grand Rapids Area scholarships.
| Poster Entry #: | Points Assigned | Possible Points |
| ART CREATION Apply skills and knowledge to create in the arts. Example:The previous 2024 GoVote poster winner, Ruqayah, communicated her visual solution through her GoVote Poster submission. | ||
| IMPACT– Visual features that grab the viewer’s attention | 10 | |
| ARTISTRY– Submission stands out as a work of art | 10 | |
| CONSISTENCY– Contains artistic elements such as color, font, font size, placement and alignment work together. | 15 | |
| CIVIC PARTICIPATION IN VOTING Members of American society demonstrate their responsibilities by actively participating in civic life, specifically through voting in elections. Example-Young adults in Michigan exercised their civic responsibility and voted in the last presidential election of 2024 at a rate of 58%. | ||
| RATIONALE– Communicates a ‘compelling why’ for voting. | 10 | |
| BENEFIT– Illustrates the rewards of voting to the community. | 10 | |
| URGENCY– While access to Michigan voter registration has increased, a gap still exists between registered voters and voters who vote in elections. The submission depicts that need for citizens to vote. | 15 | |
| SYNERGY– The interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects- Example– The synergy between art and the message can be seen in the following products: Norman Rockwell’s Freedom from Fear poster. Kent District Library’s ‘We love our library’ yard sign. Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter cover album. | ||
| DEPTH– The art and message align to deepen commitment to vote. Art and text depict voting as a powerful form of civic engagement. | 10 | |
| FOCUS– The poster’s visual elements reflect a clear democratic message to vote in elections. | 10 | |
| ACCESSIBILITY– The image and message are welcoming and relevant to voters. | 10 | |
| TOTAL | 100 | |
Additional Rules
- Entries must not have been entered in other contests or won other awards.
- Entries must be nonpartisan and cannot support, demean, or defame any political
- party or person.
- Entries must not contain brand names or trademarks except those related to the League
- of Women Voters.
- Entries must not contain material that is indecent, obscene, pornographic, hateful,
- defamatory, slanderous, libelous, objectionable, or otherwise lacking in taste or quality
- in the views of the judges.
- Entries must not contain any material or promote any activity that is unlawful.
Questions about the Contest?
Email us at lwvggr@gmail.com with the subject heading 2026 GoVote Poster Contest & Scholarship Question. Please include your name, email address, school and grade.