It’s no secret this upcoming election is going to look different from previous years, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With the election just days away, many Illinois residents are voting early at the polls or mailing in their ballot.
So what are people doing with their “I voted” stickers? We asked voters around Illinois to send us photos of their coveted stickers.
Some voters snapped selfies after leaving the polls, some put up their stickers at home and others got a little more creative.
If you are an Illinois voter and want to show us your “I voted” sticker, send a photo with your name and city to hgreenspan@chicagotribune.com, and we’ll add you to this list.
Kimberly Walz, Chicago
Kimberly Walz says, “I put my sticker on my mom’s voter registration card that I have framed. We lost her in 2016, and she loved politics. She was a nurse, a true public servant and made me who I am today. She took me to vote with her when I was little, and because of her, I registered to vote within a week of turning 18, and I’m still actively engaged today.”
Jeanniene Baker, Riverdale
Jeanniene Baker shows off her “I voted” sticker.
Lise Bible, Lake in the Hills
Lise Bible says, “So it wasn’t till afterward that I realized I had voted in the U.S. election wearing a Canadian hat. Well, it was sunny, and it’s a good hat.”
Kelley Kitley, Chicago
Kelley Kitley says, “Voting makes me feel so empowered, and I always want to pay that feeling forward. As a woman with 7.5 years of living a life without alcohol, I left the polls and went to pick up a 24-hour coin to stay sober for a friend.”
Stacy Karel, Chicago
Stacy Karel says, “Somehow this year, the act of voting seemed photo-worthy.”
Cassie Griffith, Chicago
Cassie Griffith says her “I voted” sticker now hangs on her refrigerator.
Margery Ginsberg, Chicago
Margery Ginsberg added her “I voted” sticker to her mailbox.
Hannah Maiorano, Chicago
Hannah Maiorano takes a selfie with her “I voted” sticker after leaving her polling place in Chicago.
Paulina Levy, Chicago
Paulina Levy says, “My sticker has a place right next to my CTU (Chicago Teachers Union) sticker on my computer. I’m very happy to be able to publicly display my democratic ideals.”
Christina Castillo, Chicago
Christina Castillo, a math teacher at Alcott College Prep in Chicago, wears her “I voted” sticker for her 12th grade students, as they are first-time voters.
Victoria Kent, Chicago
Victoria Kent did an “I voted” photo shoot with her dog, Oliver, styled with a patriotic bandana and a jean jacket.
Julie and Brian Teplitzky, Chicago
“Thrilled to vote for the future of our daughters!” said Julie and Brian Teplitzky.
Lauren Habes-Wojcik and daughters, Mia and Paige Wojcik, Chicago
Lauren Habes-Wojcik’s daughters, Mia and Paige, took this photo in their home.
Josh Zagoren, Chicago
Josh Zagoren shows off his “I voted” sticker.
Stephanie Reynolds, Chicago
Stephanie Reynolds, a Chicago Tribune editor, displays her and her husband’s “I voted” stickers at home.
Olivia Mancuso, Chicago
Said Olivia Mancuso: “I finally dropped off my mail-in ballot after days of researching retention judges. Though it was a fairly simple process, I want to drop some language from a tweet my good friend shares every time there is an election: ‘Not voting is not always a privilege to people. Some people can’t get time off work. Some people are so marginalized that a vote for any person in power feels like endorsing their further oppression to you and your community.'” (Twitter account @Lesley_NOPE)
Anna Zolkowski, Chicago
Anna Zolkowski’s sticker has been on a journey. “First, I drove a constituent to the polls, so she could vote early at (Northeastern Illinois University) El Centro while dropping off my own mail-in ballot,” she said. “Next, it’s on my fridge, next to a magnet from the first Obama presidential campaign.”
Becca Sherman, Chicago
Becca Sherman shows off her “I voted” sticker.
Stephanie Plancich and Greg Zimmerman, Chicago
Stephanie Plancich says she and her husband, Greg Zimmerman, voted by mail a few weeks ago.
Kelly Q. Anderson, Skokie
Said Kelly Q. Anderson: “Voting is always exhilarating, and this year, it’s even more so. I voted early at the Skokie Courthouse and was really moved by the energy in the room — polite, patient and determined constituents were all united in democracy.”
