Competition Opens for Students to Design New 'I Voted' Sticker

It's time for middle schoolers to bust out their art supplies as the St. Charles County Election Authority holds its first-ever design competition for next year's "I Voted" stickers.

To celebrate America's upcoming 250^th birthday, the Election Authority is asking middle school students to submit their patriotic artwork for a chance to be featured on the "I Voted" sticker given to St. Charles County voters in 2026. The competition is open to submissions until Nov. 21 for students in 6^th-8^th grade (or equivalent ages).

"This is a fun way to engage future voters by designing something unique to our community for Election Day," says Kurt Bahr, Director of Elections. "Connecting the sticker to the 250^th anniversary celebration of our nation makes the design even more meaningful."

To participate, students can download an entry form from sccmo.org/IVotedSticker. The form includes space for their artwork, a summary of the contest rules, and a line for parent/guardian signature. (Artwork must be contained within the allotted space on the submission form.)

Middle schools are invited to have their students participate as a class activity, but families are also welcome to have their middle school-aged kids participate on their own!

Completed entry forms can be brought to the St. Charles County Election Authority at 397 Turner Blvd. in St. Peters. Bahr also hopes to work with school districts to arrange consolidated pickups at district offices.

Finalists in the competition will be posted online in January for public voting. The winning design will be featured on "I Voted" stickers at all of next year's elections in St. Charles County, beginning in April.

Participants should read the full contest rules posted online , but here's a few notes:

• Designs must include the phrase "I Voted" somewhere in the art and should fit the theme of celebrating America's 250^th birthday.
• Submissions must be original artwork made with pencils, markers or other art supplies-no photos, tracings or digital art.
• Designs must be clearly viewable when reduced in size to fit on the actual stickers.

There are more than 300,000 registered voters in St. Charles County, and Bahr says he hopes to see all of them wearing the winning sticker design come next year.