Olivia Almond grew up going to the polls with her history teacher mom in North Carolina. But it wasn't until the 29-year-old moved to Michigan that she saw a colloquial take on a classic Election Day souvenir: a sticker reading, "OPE, I VOTED."
"When I moved to Michigan, everybody says, 'ope, excuse me,' and it's just kind of, you know, a Midwestern thing," she told USA TODAY. "So every chance I get, I like to get that (sticker) just because it's fun to me."
Almond is one of the millions of Americans who cast their vote for midterm elections early. Aside from exercising a fundamental democratic right, a ritual trip to the polls also often comes with a trivial but momentous reward that many voters look forward to: an "I voted" sticker.
While the
exact origin of the sticker that has become emblematic of the Election Day experience is unclear, arguably the most recognizable version of the design was created by Janet Boudreau in 1987, according to AARP.
Boudreau, the owner of an election supply company based in Seattle at the time, hand-sketched the design for a white oval sticker with an American flag to the left and blue serif text reading, "I voted," to the right.
She began printing them, and by the turn of the century, her company was selling more than 100 million "I voted" stickers for every midterm and general election, she told AARP.
The simple motif is still offered at polling places around the country, but as more elections have come and gone, officials have also adapted more elaborate designs. From region-specific versions to student-created artwork, there are hundreds of versions of the "I voted" sticker available around the country.
Here's a look at some available for 2026.
See 2026 'I Voted' stickers
Future voters design election stickers
Contests for local student artists have become an increasingly popular approach for officials looking for new "I voted" sticker designs each election cycle.
In Collier County, Florida, voters are receiving a sticker created by Presley Stahlman, an eighth grader at North Naples Middle School.
Stahlman's design features green serif text reading "I voted," with the "O" replaced by oranges, over a small outline of the state map. The words "FLORIDA" and "SUNSHINE STATE" appear separately on the top and bottom.
The teen, who created the design for an assignment in her art class, was inspired by a Florida license plate, she said in a video from Collier County Public School District.
"Hopefully it motivates them, when they turn 18, to actually get out and vote," said Melissa Blazier, Collier County Supervisor of Elections, in the video.
'It was a charming little piece of art'
Richard Pini, 76, of Poughkeepsie, New York, and his wife prefer to vote early, usually getting an "I voted" sticker to stick on their shirts in the process.
But after casting their ballots on Oct. 25, Pini noticed, in addition to the traditional oval option, a sticker with artwork for the first time.
"I had never seen this kind of thing before. I was fascinated. It was a charming little piece of art," Pini said.
The art, which shows the silhouette of a person seated cross-legged and holding a can of spray paint in front of multi-colored "I voted" lettering, was designed by 11-year-old Camille Attia for Dutchess County's first-ever sticker design contest. The contest invited those ages 9-18 to submit original artwork before a panel of judges selected finalists.
Pini posted a picture of the sticker on Facebook to encourage others to vote, writing, "It's a little bit sassy. I like sass."
He also told USA TODAY the contest is a positive way to impress on young people that "voting is a good thing, it's a necessary thing, and that you can have some fun by participating in it."
Marking America's 250th
Several new stickers have also been designed to recognize America's 250th anniversary this year.
Ohio voters can get a special version of the classic "OHIO VOTED" sticker featuring a ribbon banner reading "America" in the middle and "1776" and "2026" on either side plus a "250" below it.
"This special edition sticker serves as a reminder that every vote helps write the next chapter of the American story," Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said in a release announcing the sticker earlier this year.
Tennessee officials also launched a special anniversary sticker for voters. Featuring the state capitol building's cupola against fireworks and "I voted" on the bottom, the sticker features "America 250" and "#GoVoteTN" around the border.
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett said in a statement that the sticker commemorates "250 years of our nation's history while reminding us that the right to vote remains one of the greatest privileges of American citizenship."
In nearby North Carolina, Oliver Bilzi, 13, created a winning design with the number 250 that's being distributed to voters in Chatham County.
Bilzi, a ninth grader at Northwood High School in Pittsboro, North Carolina, was inspired by symbols of America, according to a bio from the Chatham County Board of Elections.
His hand-drawn design features an American flag surrounded by monuments from Washington, DC in the center and fireworks in the background. The bottom features a large "250" in red, white and blue, plus an outline of the map of the United States with "America" written inside it. "I voted" is written across the top.
"Someday we're gonna be the ones running the country and we need to know how to do it and how to do it well," Bilzi said in a video shared by the county.
Election stickers get local touches
State or region-specific takes on "I voted" stickers – like Almonds' in Michigan – are also prevalent.
Shannon O'Connell, a 35-year-old from St. Louis, chose a vibrant sticker showing a river winding through green hills with the words "I VOTED" above it when she went to cast her ballot last week.
O'Connell, who said it took her all of nine minutes to fill out her ballot after she had researched ahead of time, had the option of three different sticker designs after submitting her vote.
The one she chose, which says "ST. LOUIS COUNTY" on the border, was her clear favorite.
"I feel like it represented St. Louis a little bit more than the other ones," she said.
While O'Connell said the design reminded her of the Mississippi River, the creator, Kate Feeney, was apparently inspired by another local body of water.
Feeney, who created the design while she was a senior at Eureka High School in Eureka, Missouri, last year, told The Leader newspaper that she was influenced by St. Louis County areas like Castlewood State Park and the Meramec River.
The "OPE, I VOTED" sticker Almond received in Michigan was first introduced for the 2024 election after winning the state's sticker contest. It was made by Breanna Tanner of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Almond, a stay-at-home mom, also brought her 13-month-old son Wesley to the polls with her on Oct. 26. While Wesley may be too young to remember the experience, he too has a sticker to prove it.
When poll workers encouraged Almond to take a sticker souvenir, she took two: one for herself and one for Wesley. The latter, a circle with a royal blue background and an American flag in the center, reads in all caps, "FUTURE VOTER."
"Any chance I get to take my kids with me to vote and put the importance of that in their head is always a plus to me, so I always like to get a sticker," she said.
Almond said she is planning on putting the sticker in a scrapbook for Wesley as a way to commemorate his trip to the polls.
Special Halloween stickers
Some early voters will also be heading to the polls on Halloween, and officials in two major metros are making sure they know it.
In New York City and Los Angeles County, Halloween voters will get special holiday-themed stickers for voting on Oct. 31.
Los Angeles County's Halloween voters will receive a variation of the area's "I VOTED EARLY" sticker.
The regular early voting sticker features the phrase in bold lettering accompanied by the translation of "I voted" in dozens of languages below it. The Halloween variation adds a ghost at the bottom and two bats on either side of the word "EARLY."
The New York City version reads "VOTE NYC" in orange lettering against a black banner in the middle of the sticker. On the top border, it says, "HALLOWEEN VOTER" in white followed by "2026" on the bottom. The design includes staple Halloween graphics, including ghosts, bats and cobwebs.
Separately, a special sticker will be available for voters on the day of the New York City Marathon on Nov. 1. It says, "NYC MARATHON VOTER" with the last "O" replaced with a gold medal.
See more "I voted" stickers this year, including a manatee, flamingo and King Neptune, in the gallery at the top of this story.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'I voted' stickers are the ultimate Election Day ritual
