Elementary, Middle School and College Winners Announced in Hartwick College “I Voted” Sticker Design Competition

The Hartwick College Institute of Public Service and the College’s chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society, are pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 “I Voted” Sticker Design Competition.

The contest, held in celebration of Constitution Day, invited students from elementary school through college to create their own version of the iconic “I Voted” sticker.

Dozens of creative entries poured in from across the region, ranging from children as young as 4 to college seniors.

The first-place winners are:

“I Voted” Sticker Design by Maya Patton, Charlotte Valley Central School
  • Elementary School category: Maya Patton, Charlotte Valley Central School
  • Middle School category: Jiya Sugandhi Mangalmurti, Iroquois Middle School
  • College category: Jeaicha Sylvain ’27, Hartwick College
“I Voted” Sticker Design by Jiya Sugandhi Mangalmurti, Iroquois Middle School
“I Voted” Sticker Design by Jeaicha Sylvain '27, Hartwick College

Fifth grader Maya Patton’s design, featuring a patriotic cat and a mouse casting their ballots for “dog,” captured the hearts of the four judges, which included three Hartwick College students and a Oneonta high school student.

The first, second and third-place winning designs will all be printed as official “I Voted” stickers and distributed to voters on Election Day, Nov. 4, at Hartwick College’s brand-new official polling place, giving these young artists a unique chance to see their work become part of the democratic process. The stickers will also be shared with the local schools that participated in the competition.

One of the organizers of the competition, Laurel Elder, professor of political science at Hartwick, said, “Our goal for this competition was to provide a way for the young people of our region to participate in our democracy and get a sense that political participation can be fun.”

For more information, please contact: Professor of Political Science Laurel Elder at [email protected].

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