A first-of-its-kind partnership between the League of Women Voters of Sarasota County and Ringling College’s Center for the Creative Economy puts student designers at the center of a high-stakes civic challenge—getting unlikely voters to show up on August 18.
Only about one in three Sarasota County voters cast a ballot in the last two primary elections. The League of Women Voters of Sarasota County (LWVSRQ) decided to do something about it. They contacted Ringling College of Art and Design.
In a first-time collaboration, LWVSRQ partnered with Ringling College’s INDEX Center, a program that places students in real-world design roles for nonprofit and community clients, to create a social media get-out-the-vote (GOTV) campaign for the August 18, 2026, Sarasota County primary election. The result is a strategic visual campaign designed from the ground up by Ringling students, shaped by original research, and built to reach the voters most campaigns never reach.
“We wanted to understand voter reluctance among young adults and what could be done to overcome the obstacles. Ringling College’s Business of Art and Design department was our logical partner.”
— Rhonda Peters, Co-President, League of Women Voters of Sarasota County.
The request the students received from the League was anything but simple. Their target audience, adults ages 18 to 40, especially those who have never voted or vote only in presidential years, is among the hardest to reach in any election cycle. Their research revealed three key insights: 1) confusion around registration, deadlines, and ballot information discourages participation, 2) youth disengagement stems from systemic barriers rather than apathy, and 3) there is limited understanding of how much midterm and local races can impact everyday life.
Many don’t believe the outcome will affect their lives. Many feel overwhelmed by political noise. And primary elections, with lower name recognition and quieter media coverage, make the challenge even steeper.
Working in two phases- strategy and research from January through February, creative development and design from February through April- the student teams built a campaign grounded in one core belief: that voting is personal. The campaign avoids partisanship entirely, focusing instead on the tangible, local stakes of the August primary: who runs your child’s school, who governs your hospital, whether your voice gets counted before the general election even begins.
The students determined the campaign required a unifying call to exercise one’s rights – to BE COUNTED.
They produced a coordinated set of social media assets covering five voter education themes:
• How and when to register to vote / How and when to vote
• Why your vote matters and what’s personally at stake
• The School Board election is decided in the August election, with lasting impact for every family in Sarasota County
· Demystifying who can vote in a “closed primary” state like Florida – giving independent voters a seat at the table.
• Nonpartisan resources—connecting voters to VOTE411.org to see what’s on their ballot and hear from the candidate in their own words.
The League of Women Voters tasked the Ringling student team with crafting a strategy to target younger voters through social media to increase turnout for both primary and final elections. MJ Helmick ’26, Computer Animation; Grace McCarthy ’27, Business of Art and Design; and Kayla Tang ’27, Business of Art and Design, did extensive research and then crafted an innovative strategy.
“Department head for the Business program, Kathleen Sobr, and I supervised the team and helped them create a strategy document and presentation that the LWVSRQ enthusiastically approved. The team then passed the strategy to the Ringling student graphic design team to create the final artwork. This kind of “real-world” experience is invaluable to our students’ professional development. We look forward to seeing the results of the voter turnout.”
— Eric Boelts, Business of Art and Design Faculty and project advisor, Ringling College of Art and Design
“Our visuals will feel like a “dispatch from a friend,” utilizing lo-fi video and high-impact mobile-native graphics to ensure the League’s message is “scroll-stopping” and human-centric.”
— Grace McCarthy, Business of Art and Design student, Ringling College of Art and Design
The campaign assets will roll out across LWVSRQ’s social media channels in the months leading up to the August 18 primary, with vote-by-mail beginning in July. Voters can find nonpartisan candidate information, registration deadlines, and ballot details at VOTE411.org. In addition, the League of Women Voters of Sarasota County is adapting the campaign to connect with other key audiences by developing additional digital content that addresses common questions, including No Party Affiliation (NPA) eligibility, how primaries work, and ways to move past “news fatigue” and political overwhelm.
About the League of Women Voters of Sarasota County
The League of Women Voters of Sarasota County (LWVSRQ) is a nonpartisan, grassroots civic organization with a mission to empower voters and defend democracy. Founded as part of the national League of Women Voters — established in 1920 — LWVSRQ works to protect and expand voting rights through advocacy, education, and community engagement at the local level. The League hosts candidate forums, provides nonpartisan voter guides, conducts voter registration drives, and offers other nonpartisan resources through VOTE411.org to help all Sarasota County residents make informed choices at the ballot box. lwvsrq.org
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