Janet Boudreau drew the “I Voted” sticker in 1987 while running an election supply and voting equipment company. After seeing a Washington state county hand out a boring black-and-white sticker with an X in a square, she went home, picked up a blue pen and a red pen, and sketched an ellipse with a waving flag. That was the entire design process.
The sticker caught on in a few counties and swept the country by 1992. Boudreau told reporters that what gets her most is how it became a badge of honor, and she sees Election Day as the one day we get to amplify what we want our world to look like. Election memorabilia itself has deep roots, from the pins and ribbons of the 1920s suffrage movement to today’s state-specific stickers, future voter patches and kids’ design contests.
For Suncoast voters, the sticker is a familiar sight at polling places from Sarasota to Bradenton, a small reward for showing up. So next time you peel one off the sheet, you’ll know it started with two pens and a good idea.
What’s the best “I Voted” sticker you’ve ever collected? Tell us in the comments.
