How to liven up local democracy? Let Fresno artists design ‘I voted’ election stickers | Opinion
The fate of American democracy probably hangs in the balance, and I’m thinking about stickers.
Specifically, those oval-shaped stickers with “I voted” in block letters accompanied by some version of the flag that are affixed to mail-in ballots sent to registered voters throughout Fresno County and most of the San Joaquin Valley and handed out at polling places on election day.
In short, they’re ordinary. Plain. Generic. Boring. Uninspired. Totally lame.
Nothing about those stickers enhances the act of voting. Or makes me want to stick it on an article of clothing so that others in my general vicinity are pleasantly and sufficiently informed.
Generic, boring stickers aren’t to blame for why just 31% of Fresno County’s registered voters even bothered during the March primary. That is not what I’m saying. Nor are they why the county’s average voter turnout in the last five presidential elections is below 70% – though Tuesday’s should surpass that benchmark.
I’m saying they certainly didn’t help. And that we can, and should, do better.
While Fresno is accustomed to being trend-setters (i.e. first credit cards, first McDonald’s franchises, first California community college), this is one instance where we should follow the well-trodden path. One blazed by dozens of municipalities who’ve infused a little fun into the act of voting.
From Michigan and South Dakota to San Francisco and San Luis Obispo, “I voted” sticker design contests open to school-aged kids and the general public are gaining popularity. Beyond encouraging creativity, such activities open up other avenues for civic participation in the democratic process.
Voting on election stickers
This year, the Michigan Department of State received 480 submissions across three categories (elementary/middle school, high school and general) for its first sticker design contest, according to a news release. More than 57,700 votes were cast to determine the winners.
Nine winning designs were selected. One of them, drawn by 12-year-old, seventh-grader Jane Hynous, depicts a werewolf ripping off its shirt in front of the American flag. Another depicts a cartoon cat wearing a red, white, and blue Uncle Sam top hat. Another is of a rainbow trout with “I voted” blended into its striping.
“I just wanted to do something that was going to be, I guess, funny and not so serious,” Jane told The Washington Post. “Because, you know, voting is such a serious topic, and you want to have something fun that’s going to lighten it up.”
In South Dakota, elections officials received 200 design submissions from school-aged children in three categories that were judged by state officeholders. (Hmm, not very democratic.) Out of the four winners, the most striking depicts the black silhouette of an eagle soaring next to a tree stump.
Feathered and furred creatures, both real and mythical, is definitely a theme. The winning sticker in Stafford County, Va., shows a red cardinal sitting atop white flower blossoms. In Westminster, Colo., the winning sticker shows Bigfoot raising two fingers toward the sky in a peace sign that forms the “v” in “I voted.”
The phrase “I voted” isn’t clever enough for the electorate in Bolivia, N.C. So someone drew an eyeball (nerve endings attached) with the word “voted” beneath.
Cities and counties in California are also getting in on the fun. The winning design in San Francisco, out of nearly 10,000 votes cast, shows several local landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge, Sutro Tower, elephant seals, parrots and golden poppies as well as “I voted” in four languages.
Meanwhile, San Luis Obispo County solicited submissions from students for its first election sticker contest before the county’s seven mayors selected two winners out of 20 entries. Both winning designs prominently featured the bald eagle. One included the words “Liberty,” “Freedom” and “Justice” along with the Liberty Bell, while other featured the county’s signature green coastal hills.
Social pressures motivate voters
One look at any of these original, hand-drawn designs, and you’ll never want to see a standard “I voted” sticker again.
Am I making a big deal out of a relatively small matter? Perhaps. However, don’t underestimate the ability of election stickers to prod people into voting.
In fact, a 2016 study authored by researchers at UC Berkeley, Harvard and the University of Chicago entitled “Voting to Tell Others” found that people are more motivated to vote when they know other people will ask them if they did.
“Individuals with social-image motives are more likely to vote, the more they expect to be asked,” the researchers wrote.
In that sense, “I voted” stickers incentivize people to broadcast their civic engagement. And if the stickers themselves were more artistic and eye-catching, an argument can be made that more people would vote in order to wear them proudly and truthfully.
Would getting rid of mass-produced stickers in favor of original designs by local artists result in a huge voter turnout increase in Fresno County?
Probably not. But they’d certainly liven up each election cycle while also giving school-aged kids the chance to participate in local elections, years before they’re old enough to vote.
I see that as a win-win. Let’s have our own election sticker design contest in 2026.
