“I Voted” Sticker Design Contest: Civic Engagement and a Celebration of Santa Fe Culture

About the Program

Category: Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

For Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark’s inaugural term, the goal of engaging young and future voters was slated as a top priority. The “I Voted!” sticker contest was introduced to specifically meet this goal, celebrate New Mexican culture, and demonstrate the process of Ranked Choice Voting. Eligible students were encouraged to design an “I Voted!” sticker using multiple languages that would be printed and distributed to in-person and absentee voters during the 2021 Municipal Election. The contest was inclusive to the multicultural diversity of the county with three language categories: English, Spanish, and Indigenous Languages. The winning sticker was chosen using a Ranked-Choice ballot that was emailed to all county employees, considering creativity, originality, and cultural relevance. Approximately 300 employees participated, and the program itself was well received by schools, civic organizations, and the public. The winning design and program abstract was submitted to the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) in 2022 and won the national award for best “I Voted” Sticker! The sticker was in English and Spanish, and included the Zia Sun symbol, celebrating the pluralistic history of the County and State.