Students are invited to showcase their writing and critical thinking skills during the annual Constitutional Day Essay Contest. The first-place winner will receive $500 for the best essay, as judged by a diverse panel of AVC instructors. Please follow the instructions below.
The deadline to submit the essay is 10 a.m. on Friday, October 23, 2026
1st place: $500
2nd place: $300
3rd place: $100
4th place: $50
5th place: $25
Essay Topic: Due Process:
In current politics, some argue that voting is so important that formidable barriers should be put in place to prevent fraud and cheating so the value of true votes is not diminished. Others claim that the right to vote is so important that there is a duty to make voting easy and open, allowing all who are eligible to cast their ballots if they choose.
Prompt: Which approach, whether in isolation or in combination, is best for our constitutional democracy?
Essays should include relevant references to specific and recent voting studies, court cases, primary documents, and other applicable research materials.
The essay requirements are:
- The essay should be no more than 1800 words in length.
- Use of Times New Roman, 12-point font, and double spacing for all lines.
- A minimum of three citations from recent sources (five years old or less).
- MLA format for all citations, including any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
- Works Cited page, including entries for any use of AI.
- An essay title that reflects your answer to the topic question.
- Enrollment as an AVC student in the Fall 2026 semester.
Submit essays to https://avc.instructure.com/enroll/TWKFHE by 10 a.m. on Friday, October 23, 2026.
Student winners will be recognized at the AVC Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, December 11, 2026.
