Eligibility
The Larimer County I Voted Sticker Contest is open to current high school students (grades 9 - 12) residing in Larimer County.
- Any Type of School: Students may attend public, private, or charter schools. Home schools are eligible as well.
- Currently Attending: Students must be registered in and attending high school during the contest at the time of the submission. Seniors who are graduating in Spring 2026 are eligible to submit. First-year students who will be entering high school in Fall 2026 are not eligible to submit.
- Any Age: Students may be any age so long as they meet the requirements for eligibility.
- Individually or in Teams: Students may work individually or in a team to submit a collaborative design, so long as all team members meet the requirements for eligibility.
Recognition
All finalists will receive a framed print of their artwork and be recognized at an award ceremony in early May. The winning design will be sent to over 250,000 active registered voters in the 2026 General Election, the 2027 Coordinated Election, and the 2028 Presidential Primary and Primary Elections in Larimer County.
Essential Requirements
As you begin working on your design, please make sure to observe the following requirements:
- Use Our Template: The design must be created on our print or digital template.
- Include "I Voted": The design must contain the words "I Voted". While you are welcome to include other languages, they must be in addition to English.
- Original: The design must be original and cannot contain any copyrighted or trademarked material that would make it unavailable for public use.
- Non-Partisan: The design must be politically non-partisan, unbiased, and neutral. The design cannot contain any messaging for or against specific candidates, campaigns, positions, or issues.
- No AI: The design cannot be produced through or aided by artificial intelligence (AI) applications or software.
Failure to meet these requirements will result in disqualification.
Download a Print Template Download a Digital Template
Other Guidelines
Beyond these requirements, please be mindful of the following guidelines:
- Any Medium: The design may be produced in any physical or digital medium, including pencil, paint, marker, or graphic design applications such as Adobe or Procreate.
- Any Color: The design may be in any color. The design does not need to be limited to red, white, and blue.
- One Submission: You can only submit one design for the sticker contest. Do not submit more than one design. Any designs submitted after the initial submission will not count.
Additional Specifications for Digital Submissions
If you are submitting a digital design—whether it's a graphic design or an image of something physical—please make sure that your submission fulfills the following specifications.
- 300 dpi Resolution: The design should have a resolution of 300 dpi or higher.
- CMYK Color Space: The design should be submitted in a CMYK print-friendly color space.
- 1/8" Bleed: The design should have a 1/8" bleed.
- Acceptable File Types: The design should be submitted as a .jpeg, .pdf, or .png.
Download Templates
To enter the cost, you must use one of the official templates provided below:
- Print Template: An 8.5" x 11" page for all physical designs and media
- Digital Template: An editable .pdf that can be used for Adobe applications.
Download a Print Template Download a Digital Template
Physical Submissions
If you prefer, you can send us a physical submission.
- Mail your form to Larimer County Elections, ATTN: Sticker Contest, P.O. Box 1547, Fort Collins, CO 80522. Please use an 8.5" x 11" size envelope in order to avoid fold lines and keep your design flat.
- Drop it off in person on the 5th floor of the Larimer County Administrative Services Building, 200 W Oak St Suite 5100, Fort Collins, CO 80521 Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (excluding holidays)
If you choose to return a physical submission, you must complete the submission form on the back of the template. We are unable to accept designs that are received without a submission form. Physical submissions will not be returned. Send us a copy of your design or the original, whichever works best for you.
Download the Print Template
Confirming your Submission
If you submit your design through our online portal, you will receive an automated confirmation email. We may not be able to respond to individual submissions beyond the confirmation email due to the volume of submissions received.
Selecting the Finalists
Once the submission period has closed, up to 10 finalists will be selected through an internal process according to the following criteria:
- Originality: The design responds to and interprets the call for submission in a thoughtful, intriguing, and innovative manner.
- Relevance: The design speaks to the specific elements, unique iconography, and sense of place in Larimer County.
- Excellence: The design displays evidence of artistic craft, style, and skill (including but not limited to overall composition, palette, line work, brush strokes, shading, illustration, lettering, and other technical principles of art and design).
All finalists will also be reviewed to ensure they meet the essential requirements and eligibility.
Receiving Notification
Once the submissions period has closed, you will receive an email from the Elections Office notifying you if you have become a finalist no later than 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 17, 2026. Please check your inbox and monitor accordingly. As emails can often end up in spam folders, we recommend that you add elections@larimer.gov to your contact list.
Selecting the Winner
Once the finalists have been selected, the winner will be determined through an online ranked voting contest. Voting will be open to any resident of Larimer County and take place over two weeks in mid-to-late April. The winner will be announced at a public awards ceremony and reception in early May. More information about the voting contest and the awards ceremony will be posted here soon.
Final Thoughts
When thinking about designing for a government office, it's natural to look to state symbols and emblems like the Colorado Blue Columbine, the Rocky Mountains, and the Colorado flag. In the same way, one might also look to ballot boxes, check marks, and other associated iconography of elections. And bald eagles, the United States flag, and similar images for the United States as a whole.
While all of these images are important touchpoints, we strongly encourage you to be creative and strategic in how you refer to or incorporate these elements. Think about your own experience in Larimer County—what you see around you on a daily basis, how you move through the environment, what you feel connected with. And think deeply about what voting feels like or means to you, especially as someone who will be voting for the first time—what it promises or envisions for a society, what participating in democracy could actually be.
Beyond this, we would also encourage you to look at other I Voted stickers and see what you like or dislike. You can view stickers from previous contests below or browse stickers from other jurisdictions through the United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC).
