League of Women Voters of San Antonio 2025 Youth Contest Topic: Be Empowered.
Every Vote Defends Democracy
This year's topic is 'Be Empowered. Every Vote Defends Democracy.' For the 2024 Presidential election 63.9% of eligible voters participated in the election. In Texas, it was only 56.6%, with slightly better turnout in Bexar County with 58.6%. In non-presidential election years, voter turnout is usually lower. In 2022, slightly under 44% of registered voters participated in the November election. Bexar County general municipality elections in 2023 had a voter turnout of 15.34% Some recent surveys show that registered voters responded to questions about participation in elections with "lack of interest in the election process (e.g., my vote doesn't count)." The 2025 theme has been selected to reinforce that every vote matters.
Questions should be directed to youthcontest@lwvsa.org.
WHO: High school and college students from Bexar County during the 2025-2026 school year.
WHAT: Scholarship prizes will be awarded for top 3 written (essay, poem, song, rap,etc.) and top 3 art (visual and performance) pieces at each level. Any written submission, whether it is an essay, poem, or song will be judged as a written piece. If an individual writes a song/rap and submits a performance of it, that submission will be judged as art instead of a written submission.
Written submissions are limited to 350 words and there is a 3 minute limit for the video submissions. Visual art can be submitted as a JPEG or a PDF.
Scholarship awards will be given to the top 3 submissions for written word and for art at both high school and college levels. In addition, two high school teachers will receive $250 for encouraging the winning student's submission.
Scholarships are awarded as follows:
- 1st Place - $500
- 2nd Place - $250
- 3rd Place - $100
- (Teachers of high school 1st place winners will receive $250.)
WHEN: Submissions must be submitted by midnight on October 31, 2025 via QR code. Winners will be notified by December 15, 2025.
HOW: Written word and art are judged in separate categories.
A rubric will be used to score each piece in order to remain consistent and fair.