You probably have googled the ‘I Voted’ sticker a thousand times. You probably have found a range of theories on how it started, and more importantly, who started it. To no avail. But Jessica Hadwin, PGA Tour pro, Adam Hadwin’s wife has an idea that… somehow fits. 

The history of the ‘I Voted’ sticker is a bit contentious. A Hyperallergic article mentions that the first ‘I Have Voted’ (note the subtle difference in phrasing) sticker was first reported back in 1950. Yes, 74 years ago, a report in the Miami Herald first mentioned it.

In 1985, the Phoenix Board of Realtors was distributing the ‘I Voted Today’ (again, a different phrasing) sticker. By 1987, we got the more staple ‘I Voted’ sticker with the flag on it. Now hear Jessica Hadwin’s theory. 

“I just know that whoever convinced millions of adults to vote with the bribe of a sticker was a preschool teacher,” Hadwin tweeted, adding three clap emojis afterward. Hadwin rarely leaves an opportunity to share a funny tweet or two (most often the victim is her husband). Now that the Presidential race is heated up with early results pouring in already, Hadwin once again did what she does best. Notably, early trends show, Donald Trump is ahead of Kamala Harris in Hadwin’s state, Kansas. The Sunflower State has been historically red electing a democrat way back in 1964 for the last time.

But as we said, the ‘who’, ‘how’, and ‘why’ of the ‘I Voted’ sticker are not a part of written history. The one with the American flag from 1987 is copyrighted, however. It was designed by Janet Boudreau. Since then the sticker has been available in all 50 states across the country.

What’s more, many states and counties have ditched the original one in favor of bringing more local flavor to their stickers. In fact, this year some of these stickers, like the one from Michigan with a Werewolf, are selling on eBay. Others have already gone viral. Jessica Hadwin, a Kansas native from Wichita, has her favorite too.

Jessica Hadwin submits her choice for the best sticker prize

The multitasking mother of one shared her favorite stocker from Kansas. And it’s exactly what you would expect. Hadwin’s favorite is the first-prize winner from the state. The sticker depicts the American flag on the left, with a banner running across that says ‘I Voted.’ On the bottom right corner, a sunflower, (Kansas is the Sunflower state, right?) beacons. At the bottom, you can see a mountain range with the Sun peeping through. 

The sticker, as per a report on 12News, was designed by Yamilet Salazar, an eighth grader at Mayberry Middle School in Wichita. Jessica Hadiwn is famous for her razor-sharp wit. Her posts generally attract a lot of eyeballs. This one did too, as many of her fans shared their favorite ones or the ones they got under her tweet. 

Hadwin is an acute care nurse practitioner. She met her one-time PGA Tour winner husband via a dating app in 2014. They tied the knot three years later. The couple has a daughter Maddox Amelia Hadwin born in 2020.