SLO County hosted its first 'I Voted' sticker design contest for students grades 3–12 

After holding its inaugural "I Voted" sticker competition for local students, the county announced its first winners and an honorable mention, whose designs will be available for voters this November at the polls.

This year's winners include Old Mission School third-grader Melanie Rathbun and San Luis Obispo High School senior Joanna Rawlings, with an honorable mention to Georgia Brown Elementary School fifth-grader Rudd Larson, who submitted the content's first-ever design.

Public Information Specialist Erin Clausen from the SLO County Clerk-Recorder's Office said the county started the design program this year to promote civic engagement for younger residents and to make voting a more fun experience overall.

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• Photo Courtesy Of SLO County Clerk-recorder
• DYNAMIC TRIO Two winning "I Voted" designs and one honorable mention from SLO County students were recently announced after the county's first sticker design competition.

According to Clausen, her position was created within the past year and the design contest is one of her new projects.

"We are really passionate about getting in touch with all parts of our community and starting them young when it comes to voting," Clausen said.

Among 20 entries, the winning designs were decided by the seven city mayors of SLO County. And according to Clausen, the competition was stiff.

One winner was selected from two age groups ranging from grades three through six and seven through 12.

Third-grader Rathbun's winning design features an eagle and American flag sitting atop the Liberty Bell with the words, "Liberty, Freedom, and Justice." Twelth-grader Rawlings' design shows an eagle with the hills of San Luis Obispo. Honorable mention and fifth-grader Larson's features a voter smiling and pointing to a casted vote.

"That smile makes us smile," Clausen said.

And that's what the county hopes to help voters feel about this upcoming election.

During the election cycle, Clausen said the county receives numerous messages from residents—some of which are negative and "not happy."

"This project is fun and positive," she said. "We wanted to create a reason for voters to smile and have fun this election."

According to reporting by Time, the concept of "I Voted" stickers started back in the 1980s, although its specific history is unknown. While political scientists don't believe the sticker actually gets people to vote, it symbolizes an attempt to bring back the sense of community that's associated with voting.

Clausen said she believes that the stickers designed by local students will further enhance SLO County's sense of community.

"The stickers show a sense of pride," she said. "And wearing the children's art shows support and pride for our students."

SLO County isn't the only area with this idea. States like Kentucky and Michigan have held statewide competitions to feature students' winning designs for voters to wear as well.

The students' designs will be available for the public on Oct. 7 at the county and Atascadero voting offices and will also be available at polling locations throughout the county on Election Day, Nov. 5.

While mail-in ballots will still include the generic sticker, Clausen said mail-in voters shouldn't worry about not getting a student-designed one. If mail-in voters have already mailed in their ballot, they can still stop by the county or Atascadero voting office to receive a sticker. Clausen reminded voters that mail-in ballots can be dropped off at the voting locations as well.

"This started out as a project where we put it out there to see what happens," Clausen said.

Now, the county intends to continue the program in the future.

"We will definitely do it again since everyone involved really enjoyed it, and we clearly have talented young artists in the community," Clausen said.

Fast facts

• Revive Dive and the Central Coast Aquarium will be hosting a cleanup at the Morro Bay South T Pier on Saturday, Sept. 28. Bringing together scuba divers, environmental enthusiasts, and local community members, the event aims to remove debris from the bay waters to preserve the marine ecosystem and protect local wildlife. To register, visit revivedive.org.

• The El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO) is hosting its 13th annual Long Walk Home fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the ECHO Atascadero campus to raise funds and awareness for the services ECHO provides to individuals and families experiencing homelessness on the Central Coast. Participants will walk through downtown Atascadero to represent the journey to finding hope. Funds raised going to support ECHO's comprehensive services in Atascadero and Paso Robles, including food, shelter, case management, and job training programs. Register at echoshelter.org. Δ

Reach Staff Writer Libbey Hanson at [email protected].