2023 Jay Ogden Essay Contest
Essay Contest Deadline March 31, 2023.
This contest honors the late Jay Ogden, a longtime LWV member who believed students should be prepared to be informed citizens. As informed citizens, we examine events around us and form educated opinions that shape what we say and do. This contest is offered as an opportunity to think about an issue and then, through the writing process, to develop and explain a position on the topic.
SUBMISSION WINDOW IS CLOSED. Thank you for your entries!
Essay Prompt: SHOULD KENTUCKY ADOPT RANKED CHOICE VOTING FOR STATE OR LOCAL ELECTIONS?
Kentucky, like most states, uses a plurality voting system to elect state and local officials: voters may only vote for a single candidate in a race, and the candidate with the most votes for each office prevails. However, a few states have recently adopted "ranked choice" voting, which asks voters to rank all candidates for a particular office in order of preference. Thereafter, the state uses a vote tabulation system intended to lend weight to the second and subsequent choices of voters whose favored candidates did not receive the most votes to determine the winner.
Using research to support your conclusion, we ask that you compose a well-reasoned essay stating whether Kentucky should adopt a ranked choice voting system. A successful essay will be persuasive and informative, thoroughly explaining why and how ranked choice voting will, or will not, improve the democratic process in Kentucky.
We ask you to seek related information from a variety of reputable sources in support of your conclusion. A well-crafted essay will state its author’s thesis declaring whether Kentucky should adopt ranked choice voting at the state and/or local level, and support that thesis using, and properly citing, appropriate source materials. A responsive essay will both inform readers on the pros and cons of ranked choice voting, and persuasively argue the author’s position.
Student Contest Flyer
LWV of Lexington Essay Contest Flyer with Contest Details
Contest Rules:
This contest is open to students in grades 9-12 who are attending any school, or participating in any homeschooling network in those same grade levels, in or near Fayette County, KY.
Essays are to be typed double-spaced, using Times New Roman 12-point font (or equivalent), and should be 3-5 pages, excluding references.
Essays should be fact-based thoughtful, organized writings.
The deadline for submission is March 31, 2023 at 11:59 PM. Awards will be presented in May 2023.
Contestants should submit their original essays using the Google Form available at http://lwvlex.org/essay.
The LWV reserves the right to disqualify essays for any reason, including plagiarism or use of essay writing programs, such as ChatGPT.