A.I.M. to Vote!
Art Inspires Me to Vote

In an effort to inspire participation in the democratic process, Monterey County Elections is announcing “A.I.M. to Vote!”, or “Art Inspires Me to Vote”, an art project where young artists in Monterey County will submit a poster designed in their own creative way to reflect the importance of voting and civic participation.

Through this project we intend to motivate young people to develop an early interest in the democratic process and participation in the 2012 election season, and well into the future. The project is aimed at residents of Monterey County ages 14 – 22 and is meant to generate early interest in serving at the polls through the Elections Department’s Student Poll Worker Program as well as broadening participation in democracy and voting for those who are 18 and over.

Entries Due: 5:00 p.m., Friday, June 8, 2012
Where: Monterey County Elections Department, 1370-B South Main St. Salinas, CA 93901.
Please see rules below. Ready to enter? the submission form is here!

Note: Please contact Melissa Sesma at (831) 796-1478 or via email at sesmam(at)co.monterey.ca.us for forms, promotional posters, or with questions. 

Monterey County Elections wishes all entrants the best of luck and encourages everyone to A.I.M. to Vote!

Contest Rules:
Must be a resident of Monterey County between the ages of 14 and 22, and follow the details provided below when creating your image. Submissions that do not follow the contest rules may be disqualified.

Your goal is to design a poster to inspire Monterey County residents between the ages of 14 - 22 to learn about the registration and voting process and become involved in some way.

Will you encourage people to become a poll worker? How about running for public office? Or, helping out a candidate’s or local ballot measure campaign? Or simply, inspire people to VOTE?

Entries:

1. Entries are due no later than 5:00 pm PST on Friday, June 8, 2012
2. All entries must be provided on paper. Original copy is required. Please also provide this image on a CD if possible. Entries must be done in a manner that will permit duplication, display and framing.
3. Please, no email submissions.
4. Minimum size requirements: 8 ½ x 11; maximum size requirements: 16” x 20” or 18” x 24.”
5. Do not submit pre- matted, mounted, laminated framed or folded.
6. Entries may be done in marker, crayon, paint pens, watercolor, ink, acrylic, colored pencil, paint, photos and/or computer images.  May be color or black and white.
7. Cannot contain any political party affiliation or statement
8. Cannot contain profanity, racial slurs, or violent images
9. Can be submitted in English or Spanish.
   Please note: Monterey County must provide all materials in both English and Spanish; therefore, selected submissions will be translated by the Department.  (Continued on back of page)
10. The poster must be related to the contest theme in some way
11. All entries must be original artwork created by a student between the age of 14 and 22.
12.  Only one entry per person.
13. The student’s first and last name must be written or signed on the front of the poster and student should include the words: “Register and Vote” on the poster. Winning entries that do not contain “Register and Vote” will be amended by the Elections Department.

Timeline:
All entries must be submitted to the Monterey County Elections Department no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 8, 2012. Submitted materials will not be returned. Monterey County Elections Department reserves the right to modify or crop poster images as necessary for future use. The artist allows the Monterey County Elections Department non-exclusive rights to use and publish the photograph on their website, in publications, press releases, brochures or displays to promote the A.I.M to Vote! project.

Winners:
Judges will select one winning poster from two age categories: 14 – 18 age group and 19 – 22 age group. Winners will be announced in July in conjunction with a public meeting of the Board of Supervisors. Selected posters will be used by the Elections Department for the November 2012 outreach campaign.

Prizes:
There are no cash prizes. Each winner will receive a gift card from Michael’s Arts and Crafts to continue to be inspired by art, and an accommodation from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors along with a Certificate of Participation from the Monterey County Elections Department.

In addition, the selected winners will have their poster displayed throughout the Presidential General Election on the Monterey County Elections website: www.montereycountyelections.us, the Elections Department’s social media pages (Facebook and Twitter), at select locations throughout Monterey County during the months prior to the election. Winners may also have their posters displayed in the Monterey County Local Voter Guide. ALL entries will be displayed at the Monterey County Elections Department, 1370-B South Main Street in Salinas throughout the Presidential General Election cycle, from August through December.

Conditions:
Monterey County Elections Department reserves the right to change the rules of the 2012 A.I.M. to vote poster contest as necessary. Any rule changes will be posted on the Monterey County Elections Department website.
The Monterey County Elections Department reserves the right to deny entries that do not comply with the stated contest rules.