Stickergate 2012
November 6, 2012 § Leave a comment
Design by Justin Vitti.
The “I Voted” sticker. It’s the election day equivalent of tossing streamers or throwing confetti. It’s a wearable celebration of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness! For many first time voters, it’s a right of passage.
This morning I marched down to my polling place, whipped the booth curtains closed behind me, valiantly selected the candidates I feel will lead me and my country on to an incredible future, and dramatically pushed the red “CAST YOUR VOTE” button in slow motion. When I burst forth from the election booth, ready to usher in an era of prosperity, I was instead greeted by crushing disappointment and the cold grey glares of elderly volunteers.
As a proud and upstanding American citizen who was raised in the generation of behavioral rewards and psychological validation in the form of gold stars and “You Did It!” printed on adhesive paper, I felt abandoned by my country when I wasn’t immediately presented with a high-five and an “I voted!” sticker. How can I believe in my country when my country doesn’t believe in me? Hey, America! Can you at least hang my vote on the refrigerator?
Getting a sticker for voting: it’s my right, my privilege, my pleasure and someone dropped the ball.
Georgia has beautiful stickers.
Virginia has stickers.
https://twitter.com/tineytweet/status/265855174898245633
California has stickers in every language!
Battleground Ohio has options!
https://twitter.com/Laney0709/status/265883926122352640But not me. I have no way to prove to my local donut shop that I’ve earned that free donut for voting. No patriotic bracelet at Starbucks or BOGO cupcakes for me. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I’m not alone. I was joined by the stickerless masses on twitter.
Stickergate 2012 as heard ’round the country:
Missouri
https://twitter.com/cjb2m5/status/265904049256267776
Wisconsin
https://twitter.com/samanthajunebug/status/265889037372506114
Kansas
Texas
https://twitter.com/my3ringlife/status/265844289857277952
New Jersey
https://twitter.com/JustinVisible/status/265840045297106945
Pennsylvania
https://twitter.com/filleosophy/status/265878641865531393
New York
https://twitter.com/thecoveted/status/265828828146962432
Illinois
My fiance put together this helpful infographic to show the widespread effects of Stickergate 2012. Click to enlarge.
These are the important issues, people. I should have the right to feel like I made a difference by being presented with a sticker upon exiting the election booth. Did you get a sticker for voting? If not, write letters! Tweet to your state government! (Still waiting for a reply from Governor Christie. I’ll update if he comments.)
Or you can download our official Stickergate 2012 sticker fo’ FREE here.
I wrote the slogan. My fiancee Justin designed them. Carl at House of Print made them REAL! Thanks, guys! I’m ecstatic to finally have my sticker:
If that’s not enough, you can earn a badge on Foursquare by checking in and tweeting with #ivoted. Or get a digital sticker with GetGlue:
Alison Heller 