LWVLA poster contest honors 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment 

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 26 — To celebrate the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment, the League of Women Voters Lansing Area teamed up with the Capital Area Transportation Authority to hold a poster competition. Students from seventh through 12th grade from Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties were asked to produce a poster — utilizing the medium of their choice — that celebrates the power and importance of voting.  

The winning posters will hang in the CATA Transportation Center until election day, to remind passersby of the importance of voting.  

Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the winners of the contest were unable to attend their celebration. Still, LWVLA and CATA did their best to congratulate the winners of the contest from afar.  

“I would like to make sure they are noted and that you all see their posters,” said Dorothy Engelman, the vice president of the LWVLA. “It took a long, long time for us to earn our vote. And many still don’t have the right to vote.” 

Engelman got the idea for the poster contest when she saw a poster contest held by the League of Women Voters in Ann Arbor.  

“Our goal is just to get people to vote,” said Engelman. She promoted the website, Voter411.org, which provides non-partisan voting guides for interested citizens. It works with the League of Women Voters to provide constituents with accurate information about their potential elected officials.  

Michigan holds a special place in the history of the 19th Amendment. It was one of the first states to ratify the amendment, years before it was officially passed.  

“Michigan was able to ratify this amendment on the first day. Along with, firstly, Wisconsin. It just had to be a Big Ten state, didn’t it?” joked CATA CEO Bradley Funkhouser. “This fight started before the Civil War. I want everyone's voice to be heard.”  

In the spirit of fair and equitable elections, Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope announced the installation of a ballot receptacle at the CATA Transportation Center. In addition, one will be installed at the CATA office. These are just two of thirteen ballot drop boxes being installed in various locations around Lansing. In the era of COVID-19, these are especially vital because they allow no-contact voting.  

Swope took a moment to thank the LWVLA for their long history of promoting the right to vote, including the passage of proposal 3 in 2018. This proposal extended the right of every Michigander to register up to and on election day and to vote by mail. “I don’t think any of us could’ve predicted how important it would be this year,” said Swope. “It is essential to be able to vote without contact with any other person if that’s your choice.” 

Claire Daniels, a 10th grader from Williamston High School, placed first in the contest. At first, she had never heard of the League of Women Voters. But after researching the subject, she realized the importance of the suffrage movement.  

“When I started making the poster, my first idea was to include women of color from all walks of life,” said Daniels. “I wanted to give everyone representation in the poster.” 

Bella Spagnuolo, an 11th grader also from Williamston High, placed second. She entered the contest as an assignment for her art class. She said, “I made my poster because I wanted to capture every amazing aspect of women. I wanted them to be shown as celebrating and to be excited about the feats of womanhood.” Her poster depicts a diverse array of women raising their fists in solidarity.  

Jasmine Hernandez, the third-place contestant from Mason High School, entered the competition at the urging of her art teacher, Mrs. Combs. “Red, yellow and blue were the main themes in my poster because I wanted to recreate the look of posters from back in the suffrage era,” said Hernandez. “ The women in my poster show how women were silenced over the years. They never had a chance to speak for their rights, but as time went on, they were able to speak out.”