Besides having a say in your local, state and federal government representatives, one of the most popular aspects of going to vote is receiving an “I Voted” sticker.
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve taken a selfie proudly showing off proof you voted. (This author is certainly guilty of doing so on multiple occasions.) But you should be proud to show off your sticker! Not only are you exercising your civic duty, but you’re also in possession of a true American icon.
Of course, for the 2024 election, the classic “I Voted” sticker has seen more designs join the fray. However, few have garnered as much attention as one particular design in Michigan. This year, the Wolverine State held a contest for residents to submit a new “I Voted” sticker design that will be printed and handed out at polling stations across the state. Among the winners was a design showing a werewolf ripping off a shirt in front of an American flag, which has since received a ton of attention nationwide.
John Oliver even talked about the infamous sticker on Last Week Tonight. He said of the design, “The founding fathers should frankly be ashamed that they didn’t ensure voting came with complimentary werewolf swag. I cannot believe it took nearly 250 years for a young Michigan genius to solve that obvious flaw in our democracy.”
Oliver’s praise didn’t just stop there. When the design was first released, the host jokingly said, “Yes! Everything about that is perfect. The line work, the kinetic energy of the shirt being ripped off, the wolf’s head thrown back in patriotic ecstasy at the concept of democracy. I know this is not the point, but I would commit voter fraud to get multiples of that sticker.”
That description eventually led to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to respond to Oliver saying, “No need to ‘commit voter fraud,’ John and @LastWeekTonight! We’ll send you some stickers.”
While the Michigan werewolf design is incredibly fun, let us not forget about the original design where this all started. Here are five fun facts about the classic “I Voted” sticker.