Georgetown, Del., Sept. 26, 2006: Students will get their chance to play political pundits this campaign season, as Sussex County is again sponsoring its Election Year Scholarship Contest.

County Council announced today that for the fourth time since 2000, it will ask local students to venture their best guesses on which candidates will win elected office in the 2006 general election set for Nov. 7. The student with the most correct predictions will win a $200 scholarship, while five runners-up will each win $100 scholarships.

The scholarships will be paid upon a student’s enrollment in college or another post-high school educational program. The County Council created the contest for the 2000 election. Funding this year will come through councilmanic grants, as well as from the Griffin & Hackett law firm.

“This is a novel way to get young people involved in our nation’s democratic process,” said County Finance Director David Baker. “This encourages them to look at a number of races in the November election, and then try to forecast, as best they can, who will emerge as the winners in those races. It’s a great civics lesson, but it’s also a chance to have a little fun, too.”

Students 18 and younger who live in Sussex County are eligible to participate. Entrants will be asked to predict the winners of 17 national, statewide and county races; the student with the most correct guesses will win. To break a tie, entrants will be asked to guess how many total votes the winner will collect in this year’s U.S. Senate race. Contest winners will be announced once the election results are certified.

For complete rules and to enter, log onto the County’s Web site at sussexcountyde.gov.