Voting Rules!
ArtPrize is just around the corner, which means that anyone one who comes to Grand Rapids will soon be able to vote and help determine the winner of the world’s largest art prize.
Download the Official Voting Rules
ArtPrize, and ArtPrize voting, doesn’t start until September 23, but you can pre-register online starting September 14. Why pre-register? It will save time. You will still need to show a government issued ID at a registration location on or after the 23rd to be able to vote, but pre-registration will make that process a lot quicker. We’ll have more info about exactly how to pre-register on the 14th.
We’ve tried to make voting as simple as we can, but we also want to make sure it’s fair, so there are a few rules.
- You must be 16 or older to register and vote.
- Registering to vote requires your first name, last name, valid e-mail address, and government issued ID.
- If you would like to be able to use text messaging to vote, you also need to register your cell phone number. Text message voting is optional.
- ArtPrize will disqualify voters if they cheat, hack, or undermine the voting process.
- ArtPrize reserves the right to disqualify any vote or voter who receives any form of compensation in exchange for his/her vote. This means that artists cannot buy votes, and voters cannot sell votes. What constitutes buying votes? Anything that an artist offers to a voter that is conditional on that voter voting for the art. If the artist states what they will do with the money (like giving it to charity) that’s ok, because that gift is not being given to a voter in exchange for a vote. (Side note: I’ve heard from some that they feel plying for votes by publicizing a plan to give to a charitable cause is in poor taste, because it’s more about fund-raising than the art itself. It’s an interesting debate, and one that I’m sure will heat up once voting gets underway.)
This last point, about what constitutes buying a vote, probably has the greatest potential for dispute and misunderstanding. If you’re an artist and you’re worried that your promotional strategy may be in violation of the rules, please ask me (kevin@artprize.org). The short answer is this: If you are offering compensation in exchange for votes, you will be disqualified.
Hello,
I apologize if this question has been addressed already…I just read about the voting rules again and noticed that voters will not only have to register in person, but they also have to have an e-mail address. I am not sure if I have missed this little important detail before but I think that a lot of the elderly voters don’t have e-mail accounts and this will therefore make it more difficult for people to vote. I understand that e-mail accounts can be easily created but I wish this detail was published sooner. This is not a complaint but rather an observation….the details of the voting rules should have been explained and posted sooner than 3 days before pre-registration begins. Does every voter need to have their own e-mail account or can they use their grandchild’s email???
Thank you!
Dija,
You will want to have your own email address. It will cause you a lot less confusion than using another person’s email. Incidentally, whose email are you using to leave these comments?
Hello Paul,
I am using my own e-mail and I am very computer savvy. Thank you very much!!!! I find your comment rather rude. You didn’t bother to answer my initial question. This registration system you have in place as of right now excludes a large portion of the elderly audience. I know that a lot of people will agree with me on this one, but not every older voter who appreciates art and wants to vote necessarily knows a lot about the internet. It is very clear that the registration system was not thought through as well and makes it very complicated for everyone involved. I understand that there is a lot of money to be given away, but this seems to be more difficult than a presidential election!
Happy voting!
Just to be clear, we’ve always thought of ArtPrize as an experiment in social media as well as an art competition. The integration of technology is essential to the event. The artist/venue matching process happened completely online, through a system build and managed by a very small number of people. One of the things that excites us about the internet is that really powerful things can happen when you empower users to get involved and help build something from the ground up. There is a drawback in that people either need to be comfortable with technology, or willing to learn, in order to fully participate. Wikipedia is an amazing resource, but they won’t send you a printed copy, it’s limited to the technology that enables its existence.
We’ve made ArtPrize voting free, and we’re getting as many volunteers as possible to help any and all people participate. But the reality is that the entire process is highly integrated with technology, if it weren’t, we wouldn’t be able to do what we’re doing.
Kevin,
Thank you so much for the informative reply! I remain excited about the ArtPrize competition and will continue to support voters so that they can participate.