Michigan students, artists, invited to design "I Voted" stickers for 2026
Michigan students and adults are invited once again to submit their designs for "I Voted" stickers that will be given to voters in the November election.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced the 2026 sticker design contest Tuesday, following up on the huge popularity and national attention from the state's 2024 sticker design contest.
The most popular sticker during the inaugural run of nine special edition stickers was a werewolf howling, holding out its arms, and standing in front of a flag. Jayne Hynous of Grosse Pointe, a student at Brownell Middle School, created that design. Stickers with her werewolf design were found on sale on eBay for as high as $500 just ahead of the November 2024 election.
Entries for the 2026 contest are due May 1. Artists can submit one entry.
Online voting to select the winners will take place in June. The winning stickers will be produced in a 2-inch size in time for local election clerks to order them for the Nov. 3 election.
Artwork can be made with digital, paint, crayon or mixed media styles. The submitted designs must include the phrase "I Voted." They must be nonpartisan in nature, original work without copyrighted or trademarked designs. Artists cannot use AI (artificial intelligence) generation to design their entries.
According to the instructions for this year's contest on the Secretary of State website, there will be three categories: Grades K-8, Grades 9-12, and General Entry / open to all Michiganders. There were three winners picked in each of those age brackets during 2024.
The "I Voted" sticker has been a popular Election Day trend for decades in the U.S., with communities and states often creating unique, patriotic designs to distribute to those who visit the polling places.
