Photo: GRANT BALDWIN / AFP / Getty Images
Albany County is bringing back its annual "I Voted" sticker design contest, inviting K-12 students across the county to create the design that voters will receive when they cast their ballots this November.
The Albany County Legislature and the Albany County Board of Elections launched the fourth annual contest on Monday (March 16), giving young artists the opportunity to shape a familiar Election Day tradition. The winning design will be printed and distributed to voters throughout Albany County.
Students are asked to submit one original, non-partisan design that includes the phrase "I Voted" and fits on a two-inch-diameter circular sticker. Entries may be created using crayon, pencil, ink or digital tools.
Submissions can be dropped off in person at participating area schools or at the Harold L. Joyce Albany County Office Building, 112 State Street in Albany. Digital entries may be emailed to AlbanyCountyIVoted@albanycountyny.gov. The deadline to submit is midnight on Thursday (July 10).
In addition to the artwork, entries must include the student's name, age, grade, current school or homeschool, address, phone number and email address. Artists younger than 18 must also submit a consent form signed by a parent or guardian.
A panel of seven judges will select finalists by July 24, using three criteria: artistic skill and excellence, meaningful and consistent theme, and uniqueness of design. The public will then vote online for a winner from August 3 through 31.
Stickers featuring the winning design are scheduled to be distributed at Albany County polling places on General Election Day, Tuesday (November 3). Contest details and consent forms are available at albanycounty.com/ivotedsticker.
The contest is sponsored by the Albany County Legislature, the Albany County Board of Elections, the League of Women Voters of Albany County, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in an effort to inspire youth participation in, and excitement about, the democratic process.