Very few students in Lake County’s schools are eligible to vote in the 2026 election, but all of them have the chance to get involved in a way that can potentially touch everyone who votes.
Kindergartners through high school seniors throughout the county have the chance to design the “I Voted” stickers offered to each registered voter who casts a ballot in the March primary and November general elections.
Lake County elementary, middle and high school students who choose to enter the 2026 “I Voted” sticker contest have until Nov. 14 to submit their entries in person or by mail to the Lake County Clerk’s office in Waukegan, as well as online, and become eligible to win a gift card.
A traditional sticker was used for years, but for the 2024 election Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega decided to conduct a contest for students to design a new sticker. More than 220 entered, and a seventh grader from Woodlawn Middle School in Long Grove won.
“Many kids can be a part of this,” Vega said. “It’s a way for them to get involved in the election. It gets young people more involved, and (hopefully) more excited about voting when they’re old enough.”
Even more people will be able to wear the sticker for the 2026 primary and general elections. Vega said his office has devised a way to get stickers to people who vote by mail. Before, they were only available when a voter left a polling place.
Divided into three divisions, Vega said there is a contest for kindergarteners through fifth-grade students, middle school youngsters and those in high school. The winner can come from any of the three categories. The winners will be announced on Dec. 1.
A $25 gift card will be awarded to the elementary school winner, $50 to the choice among middle school students and the champion among those in high school gets a $100 gift card. The overall victor will claim an additional $125 gift card.
With a theme of “Lake County Votes” for the contest, Vega said red, white and blue colors should be included in the design. Since the sticker itself is circular, the design must also be in a round shape.
“We are excited to once again encourage young artists across Lake County to participate in this contest,” Vega said in a press release. “While young residents of Lake County may not yet be able to participate in the voting process, we hope that this contest will encourage young people to participate in civic life.”
While nearly all the participants are not yet eligible to vote, Vega said juniors and seniors in high school can apply to serve as election judges, both for the March 17, 2026, primary and next year’s Nov. 3 general election.
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High school judges must have a 3.0 or higher grade-point average in school and get written approval from their school to miss the day of classes. Vega said they are paid for the day, which runs from just before 6 a.m. when voting starts, to shortly after 7 p.m., when the polls close.
“It helps them with their civics requirement in school,” he said. “We had a large number of student judges in 2024, and we expect a large portion will return for 2026. We want to encourage them to get involved and vote when they become eligible.”
Getting as many registered voters as possible to vote is a regular goal for Vega. In an off-year election like 2026, there is generally about a 50% turnout. In presidential elections like 2024, around 70% of those who can vote cast ballots.