Count Me In! wins second place at student leadership conference

The Broward County student-founded voter-registration group took second place in the Citizenship and Patriotism Projects category at the 2026 Southern Association of Student Councils Annual Conference. The recognition highlights a nonpartisan effort to make voter registration and election information more accessible across South Florida and beyond.

Why it matters: - Count Me In! is a student-built effort to increase civic participation by helping eligible voters register, update records and find trusted election resources. - The recognition puts a local, nonpartisan voting initiative in front of student leaders from across the Southeast. - The award may help the founders expand the group’s outreach to schools, senior communities and other local partners.

What happened: - Count Me In! earned second place in the Citizenship and Patriotism Projects category at the 2026 Southern Association of Student Councils Annual Conference. - The conference brought together student leaders and advisors from member schools across 15 Southeastern states. - The organization was founded by Broward County students Helaina Leuca and Adrian Lutz. - The group is based in South Florida and focuses on voter registration and election education.

The details: - Count Me In! helps eligible citizens register to vote, update voter records and connect with trusted election resources. - The organization works with schools, senior communities and local partners to make civic participation more accessible across generations. - Count Me In! is a strictly nonpartisan initiative. - The Florida Division of Elections has approved Count Me In! as a Third Party Voter Registration Organization. - The group says its work is designed to support civic participation without favoring either party. - More information

Between the lines: - The award signals that civic engagement projects can stand out in student leadership settings when they combine service, organization and public purpose. - Leuca said the founders started Count Me In! to help people feel prepared and confident about voting. - Lutz said the recognition belongs to the students who registered to vote and helped shape the work. - Count Me In! has also received encouragement from candidates on both sides of the political aisle, including Florida gubernatorial candidate David Jolly. - That kind of validation can help a student-led initiative build credibility as it reaches new audiences.

What's next: - The founders are planning for future elections. - Count Me In! expects to build on its current outreach as it expands civic participation efforts. - The recognition may give the organization momentum as it continues working with schools and community partners.

The bottom line: - A South Florida student-led voter-registration group used a student conference award to underscore a simple goal: make voting easier to access, understand and act on.