The Austin County Elections Department recently celebrated civic engagement and artistic expression amongst local students in a special awards ceremony for the inaugural “I Voted” and “Future Voter” sticker design contest. This initiative, championed by Austin County Tax Assessor-Collector and Election Official Kim Rinn, aimed to encourage a sense of civic duty and excitement about electoral participation among the younger generation, marking a significant stride in community engagement.

The contest invited students from kindergarten to twelfth grade across various schools in Austin County to unleash their creativity and submit designs for election stickers to be distributed in the 2024 Election Season. With over 250 participants, the contest saw a diverse range of artistic interpretations of civic participation, reflecting the vibrant, community spirit across schools in the county.

 

 

Categories and Winners

The competition was categorized into “Future Voter” for students in grades K through 5, and “I Voted” for those in grades 6 through 12. After meticulous review, the panel of esteemed judges was deeply impressed with the level of artistry and imagination the young talents exhibited.

Winners for the “Future Voter” category were:

  • Luke Masson from West End Elementary (3rd Grade)
  • Jones Garza from Faith Academy (5th Grade)
  • Kaelee Carr from Sealy Elementary School (4th Grade)

For the “I Voted” category, the laureates were:

  • Justin Ochoa from Brazos Middle School (8th Grade)
  • Lina Garcia from Bellville High School (12th Grade)
  • Lydia Huebner from Bellville High School (11th Grade)

During the awards ceremony, held at the Commissioners Court session on September 25, 2023, the winners were publicly announced, recognized and awarded a plaque for their contributions to this civic initiative.   Austin County Tax Assessor and Election Official Kim Rinn expressed immense pleasure in announcing the winners and extended her gratitude to the judges, organizers, and participants for making the event a grand success. Rinn detailed the journey of the contest, emphasizing the importance of strong voter participation in the county and her hopes for this initiative to energize people about upcoming elections.  She Kim Rinn, along with other organizers such as Daisy Arriaga, Danny McKay, and Samantha Reese, were commended for their roles in bringing the community together for such an inspiring cause. The awards ceremony was not only a celebration of artistic accomplishments but also a moment of reflection on the significance of civic participation.

The winning designs, symbolic of youthful creativity and civic spirit, will soon be a part of the electoral process, printed on stickers distributed throughout the 2024 Election Season, turning them into lasting tokens of community participation and representation.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The awards presentation begins at the 00:01:54 of the video.

 

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