Michigan’s first ‘I Voted’ sticker contest draws inspiration from folklore and more

In Michigan, an old tradition among voters is getting a new twist. The state’s “I Voted” stickers will feature nine new designs announced on Wednesday, Sept. 4. The designs were chosen by Michiganders from a pool of competitors in the Wolverine State’s first ever ‘I Voted Sticker’ contest.

The work of 12-year-old Jane Hynous is among the winners, featuring a werewolf ripping its shirt off. The middle schooler’s sticker will be among those Michigan voters can choose from after casting their ballots at the polls this November. Hynous’ drawing of the mythical beast garnered the most votes with more than 20,000 statewide among the nearly 60,000 votes cast in the contest. She beat out the nearest contestant by nearly 2,000 votes. The werewolf design even clawing its way onto social media.

“If there’s ever a year to have an unhinged werewolf ripping its shirt off as the ‘I Voted’ sticker…. it’s 2024,” wrote Derek Dobies, the chief of staff of the Michigan AFL-CIO on the platform X.

The final stickers range from folklore to folksy. One contestant who saw her depiction of the Midwest colloquial term “ope” make it, said she was inspired by where she lives.

“And so, the word ‘ope’ is something that I noticed when I said it, when I noticed people in Michigan say it, I dove hard into it,” said Bree Tanner, a contest winner.

The state reportedly received more than 480 submissions, and the categories were for people of all ages.

The contest’s idea originated from Michigan’s Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force, which is a group of 34 students who help encourage civic engagement among young people and beyond. The task force’s chairperson said that the group became inspired by a similar contest in New York, where a 14-year-old’s drawing went viral.