A Sumner High School student’s artwork has been chosen as the design for the new Hillsborough County ‘I Voted’ sticker. These stickers are handed out during primary and general elections. All finalists in the competition received Tampa Bay inspired prizes and their artwork will be featured on posters and other voter outreach material.
Hillsborough County ‘I Voted’ contest
There were many excellent entries into the contest which started in September 2021. Participants had until March 2022 to submit their designs. At the end of April, seven students were recognized in front of the School Board for their outstanding sticker art. The finalists received a $100 prize, 4 lightning tickets, a Buccaneers prize package and a McDonald’s lunch for their classroom.
Their artwork will be featured on thousands of McDonald’s bag stuffers, hundreds of posters, and in other outreach efforts. Iliana Otero’s winning artwork has been made into a sticker that will be handed out during Early Voting in the Primary and General Elections.
History of the ‘I Voted’ sticker
The actual origins of the ‘I Voted’ sticker are unclear. The earliest mention of the sticker was found in the Miami Herald in 1950. It noted that at a recent local election ‘I Have Voted’ stickers were handed out at the poll “as a reminder to others to cast their votes.” There were many various reports of ‘I Have Voted’ or ‘I voted today’ being handed to voters throughout the 80s.
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However, the ‘I Voted’ sticker with a waving American flag people are most familiar with was created in 1987. This design can be traced to Janet Boudreau, who created the design while working for an election-supply company Intab, who later copyrighted it.
Political scientists say the sticker itself doesn’t get people out to vote. However, the sticker represents an attempt to bring back a sense of community that was once associated with voting.
