Regardless of the state, millions of people United States They will wear “I Voted” stickers on their chests Election DayAn accessory that can be traced back to the late 1980s.

Phoenix Association of Realtors Arizona claimed to be the first company to begin distributing these stickers in Phoenix and Maricopa counties in 1985 and National Campaign Supply He claimed that he started selling them in 1986.

However, the stickers may have been used for longer than that. Miami Herald We mentioned that “I Voted” stickers were distributed at the Miami polls. 1950. A 1982 article in the magazine noted that small businesses in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, began offering Election Day discounts and free gifts to those who wore the sticker.

In 1984, then-Vice President George H. W. Bush wore a sign that read: “I Voted Today – Did You?” He got a sticker that said: while he was voting in the presidential election in Houston, Texas, according to a report that day. United Press International wire service.

Decals were initially provided locally by businesses or groups such as the League of Women Voters to demonstrate one’s commitment to civic life. By 1988 they had become commonplace in the US

Origin of the most common oval-shaped sticker with the American flag and the simple words “I voted” choice supply company Intab in 1987.

Janet Boudreau, who runs the company, said: Time On Election Day, he was shocked that many people didn’t realize it was Election Day.

“I wanted them to see people with the ‘I Voted’ sticker and think, ‘Oh, I should do that,'” she said.

He said the sticker was a product of growth in the 1960s and 1970s, when he realized the power of voting.

“We could see that populism was having a huge impact in terms of civil rights and people protesting the Vietnam War. “Who you put in office to pass the law or kill it could mean life or death for some people,” Boudreau said.

As they became more common in the 1980s, “I Voted” stickers evolved into an American symbol. In Illinois, they are even included in state law.

The stickers are cheap, costing less than a penny local governments typically pay. Intab still sells its stickers for $7 for 1,0000 rolls. The company sells more than 30 million stickers a year, according to the report San Jose Mercury News.

“Others claim to have created this design, but I copyrighted it a long time ago,” Boudreau said.

In 2024, many states have deviated from traditional “I Voted” stickers. Some jurisdictions offer multiple languages, and other places offer state-themed versions.

This year, Michigan held a contest for the “I Voted” hashtag. Nine participants won as the wolf sticker attracted great attention on social media.

“The 9 winning designs will be available as the state’s official 2024 Presidential Election stickers for clerks to order and distribute to voters this fall,” according to the press release. pic.twitter.com/UFhqbnnr5u

— Craig Mauger (@CraigDMauger) September 4, 2024

But all the designs have one thing in common: They help people silently show that they voted, and indirectly put pressure on those who did not vote. Earlier stickers from the 1980s and 1990s read “I Voted, Did You?” It stood out with messages like:

Still, it’s unclear whether the stickers increase voter turnout. Political science experts explained San Jose Mercury News Voters are sometimes motivated by peer pressure and a desire to be part of a movement that may exist with or without stickers.

“Social influence has made a big difference in political mobilization,” said James Fowler, a political science professor at the University of California, San Diego. “It’s not the ‘I Voted’ button or the name tag we all see that makes the votes happen. This is the person who depends on it.”

As early voting has grown in popularity in the United States, where more than 55 million voters cast ballots in the 2024 elections as of October 31, voting on Election Day has become less of a social activity than it used to be.

Facebook during the 2010 midterm elections tested a personalized, online version The “I Voted” hashtag as part of an experiment. Users had the option to put the sticker on their profile and see a list of their friends who voted. Clicking on the sticker will direct users to a web page showing information on where and how they can vote.

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Facebook claimed that engagement increased by 0.6% among users who saw both pages, resulting in an additional 340,000 people voting.

Yet even in the digital age, physical stickers continue to carry symbolic meaning for some voters. in Rochester, New York, grave The door of women’s suffrage pioneer Susan B. Anthony remains open throughout election night as female voters place stickers on her grave in a meaningful gesture.