Is there a correlation between stimulating design and voter registration? Pratt Manhattan Gallery will find out through the first-ever competition to design mobile voter registration centers. The centers will tour New York City from September 15 to November 2, 2010 with a goal to enliven and encourage participation in the fall 2010 election process.

“We see this competition as a way to spark public interest in something that is traditionally associated with brown folding tables and wire racks full of pamphlets. There’s so much opportunity to improve how registration and campaign information are being presented, and we’re looking to artists and designers to run wild with their ideas and make it exciting,” said Litt. “This competition is especially important in a city like New York, where so much of its energy is fueled by visually compelling design,” he added.

The winning entries will be fabricated and utilized by volunteers in a non-partisan voter registration drive on the streets, parks, and other public locations throughout New York City from September 15 through October 1, 2010. After October 1, 2010, the centers will tour with non-partisan information on candidates running for office.

The competition is open now through June 15, 2010; winning entries will be selected on July 5, 2010. All submissions, including the three winning entries, will be displayed as part of an exhibition that will be on display from August 31 through September 7 at the gallery, which is located at 144 West 14th Street, second floor.

Judging criteria include attractiveness of booth design, budget feasibility, function, collapsibility and storage, and transportability. The three winners will be awarded cash prizes of $500, $400, and $300 with $1000 stipends for the fabrication and shipment of their winning designs.