Secretary of State
Kentuckians Can Now Vote on 2010 Election Slogan

(Frankfort, KY) The public now has the chance to select their favorite voting slogan to be used in the upcoming 2010 election cycle.  Students across the Commonwealth have submitted potential voting slogans as part of the Office of the Secretary of State Voter Slogan and Essay Contest sponsored by the Kentucky Education Association (KEA), KEA Retired, and the University of Kentucky Scripps Howard First Amendment Center.  To vote for your favorite, visit: www.sos.ky.gov/sloganpoll, by January 29, 2010.

“Our sponsors and teachers across the Commonwealth have allowed thousands of Kentucky students to become further engaged in important civic discussions via this outstanding contest,” said Secretary of State Trey Grayson.  “I encourage all Kentuckians to support these young people by voting for your favorite slogan.  We look forward to using the 2010 slogan to help market the 2010 elections!”

Although this is the 20^th year of the contest, this is the first time that citizens will be able to vote for the winners online.  In previous years, various civics groups were judges for the contest.  The slogans were narrowed down to the top twenty choices and are displayed without the name of the submitting student in order to have votes cast on the merit of the slogan.  

The decision is an important one not only because the slogan will be seen on election materials across the Commonwealth but because it carries prizes of up to a $1,000 U.S. Savings Bond for winning slogans. The contest was open to Kentucky 6^th - 8^th graders.

“In order for students to become more engaged in our society and eventually become active citizens, we must take civic education directly into the classroom.  Activities such as the Voter Slogan and Essay Contests allow teachers to bring civics education to life while allowing them to focus on the current Core Content required by the Kentucky Department of Education,” said Secretary Grayson.

The Slogan contest is part of the Civic Literacy Initiative of Kentucky (CLIK) and is required under Kentucky statute.  CLIK is a multi-year effort that will determine a strategy for enhancing long-term civic engagement and civic literacy within the Commonwealth.  As part of that effort, CLIK released a report, Rediscovering Democracy: An Agenda for Action, that calls upon the state to take tangible steps to increase civic literacy.  The report, which details four principle recommendations and scores of additional recommendations, was developed from the work of the Kentucky Workgroup on Civic Literacy and the CLIK.

            For more information about CLIK or to find out how to get your school, organization, or family involved in any civic activities taking place across Kentucky, please visit: www.civics.ky.gov.

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