Woman invented national voting sticker

In 1987, one design decision transformed how millions of Americans mark their participation in elections. Janet Boudreau created the now ubiquitous I Voted sticker that year. Her company handled election supplies and voting equipment at the time. She observed a Washington state county handing out a different item to voters. That county used a black and white sticker featuring an X in a square. Boudreau found that simple mark lacking in inspiration.

She went home and used a blue and red pen to sketch a new idea. Her design featured an ellipse with a waving flag. The new sticker began in a few counties before spreading across the country. By 1992, the adoption rate had surged. Boudreau described the growth during that period as nuts. The item joined a long history of Election Day memorabilia. Past decades saw pins, buttons, and ribbons used by voters. The women’s suffrage movement in the 1920s also utilized similar items.

Boudreau has long supported voting as a civic duty. She views it as the right and responsibility of citizens to share their voice. She said the sticker helps amplify what people want their world to look like. The design irritated her and others when people claimed they forgot about the election. The sticker now serves as a badge of honor for many voters. It has spawned state specific images and future voter patches. Contests have invited children to design their own versions.

The original creator hopes the item continues to carry meaning. She sees it as a promise and a call to action each cycle. Boudreau encourages Americans to get out and vote. She also urges them to spread the word about the importance of participation. The sticker remains a staple of Election Day in Anchorage and across the nation. It provides a simple visual cue that a ballot was cast. No other single item has achieved similar recognition in American political culture. The design persists more than three decades after its inception.