We recently partnered with Creative Conscience to launch the #WHYVOTE USA campaign, to inspire young Americans to engage in democracy for a pivotal election. Through creative social media content, we wanted to show young people that their voices matter and encourage them to educate themselves and others about democracy. Youth-led campaigns often resonate more with young audiences, making them powerful tools for voter engagement. We’re excited to celebrate the winning entries and amplify these voices to create impact ahead of the election.
Here are the competition winners chosen by the judges...
First place: Kate Aren & Brandi Witek - 'VoteMaxxing'
This group's submission uses humour to try and influence young people to vote. Here's what they had to say about their entry:
"What the sigma is Votemaxxing? Votemaxxing is incentivizing voting to make it look like a flex, using memes to get people to laugh, and think of voting like a quest to earn more rizz. The main goal is to get young voters to the polls and to understand that their vote matters, even if we have to convince them through aura points."
See submission here
Second place: Kate Dembowski & Lauren Mehl - ‘Voting is the Jack of All Trades’
"Our campaign aims to encourage first-time voters in the trades industry to be informed, educated, and vote for themselves."
See submission here
Third place: Martina Lasku, Morgan Guerri & Emily Zhang - 'Vote Local'
"To engage young voters by addressing their primary pain points—lack of understanding of the political process and feeling limited in their options. This campaign encourages them to focus on local elections, where real, tangible changes can be made within their communities. "Think not Institution but Community." Local voting is the catalyst for the changes that matter most to young people, offering them a way to take control of their future in a way that's accessible and impactful."
See submission here
VoiceBox Honourable Mention: Natalie Orlando & Lauren Moore
A special mention for this project, chosen by the VoiceBox team, which we feel deserves to be highlighted as well!
"Young citizens of America aged 18-30 need to see the importance of voting plus their role in social media and take action to register and physically vote because their voice matters, and their impact on society only grows bigger as the new leaders of the world in the digital age."
Check out the submission here
We’d like to say a massive THANK YOU + WELL DONE to each and everyone who entered; for recognising the importance of encouraging your peers to engage with democracy, and for using your creative skills to create something with meaning and positive purpose. We’re thrilled to have engaged students from a variety of institutions such as Miami Ad School, Savannah College of Art & Design, UAL and College for Creative Studies, Detroit.
A special THANK YOU also to Creative Conscience, for joining forces with us in launching this exciting and important youth-led campaign. The winning entries, as well as many others, will continue to be showcased across both audiences, on social media and winners should expect to receive an email with information on how to claim their cash prizes.
Support Young Creators Like This One!
VoiceBox is a platform built to help young creators thrive. We believe that sharing thoughtful, high-quality content deserves pay even if your audience isn’t 100,000 strong.
But here's the thing: while you enjoy free content, our young contributors from all over the world are fairly compensated for their work. To keep this up, we need your help.
Will you join our community of supporters?
Your donation, no matter the size, makes a real difference. It allows us to:
- Compensate young creators for their work
- Maintain a safe, ad-free environment
- Continue providing high-quality, free content, including research reports and insights into youth issues
- Highlight youth voices and unique perspectives from cultures around the world
Your generosity fuels our mission! By supporting VoiceBox, you are directly supporting young people and showing that you value what they have to say.
