On Election Day, people stream out of their polling locations proudly wearing “I voted” stickers to show the world that they did their part. But not everyone gets the opportunity to vote.
The United States has a long history of voter suppression; all around the country, people are denied the right to vote due to policies, rules, and efforts aimed specifically at keeping them away from the ballot box.
Now, designers have come up with a new sticker for people who want to vote, but cannot. Rob Colucci and Zack Roif of creative agency Public Domain worked with VoteAmerica to create the “I Couldn’t Vote” sticker to raise awareness about voter suppression, which impacts 30 million people according to VoteAmerica.
“We hijacked the ‘I voted’ sticker to really kind of give a voice and a face to the millions of people that are suppressed by voting,” says Colucci.
What is voter suppression and who does it affect?
Voter suppression efforts have surged since the 2020 election. Since 2020, there has been a handful of legislation passed, including 78 laws and 400 proposed bills, that disproportionately affect the voting rights of minorities, the elderly, and first-time voters.
“For example, in Texas, you can vote with a handgun license, but not with a student ID,” says Colucci. “Which is pretty shocking and really kind of paints the picture of who they’re trying to get to vote and who they’re trying to prevent from voting.”
More than 100,000 polling locations have closed since 2018, and many ballot drop boxes have also been removed, making it harder and harder for people trying to access polling locations. According to a recent study on polling closures, Texas, Arizona, and Georgia have been most impacted.
What are these stickers doing to counter voter suppression?
The stickers come in two designs that replicate the typical “I voted” stickers. The first one is a small oval sticker with the American flag and the words “I couldn’t vote.” The second one is bigger, circular, with red, white, and blue stripes and the words “I couldn’t vote” in the middle surrounded by stars. The stickers will be sent to different legislatures and states.
The stickers are part of a broader campaign to educate people about voter suppression. The project also has a video element that shows interviews with people who have experienced voter suppression, putting a face to the stories.
“Once you hear one story [of voter suppression], you sort of can’t look away from the problem,” says Roif.
This project encourages people to make sure their documents are good to go come November. On Instagram, “I couldn’t vote” will be posting resources such as polling location finders and will encourage people to check out VoteAmerica’s comprehensive resources for voting.
You can order the stickers for free at Icouldntvote.com.