Honestly, the Michigan Department of State probably didn't expect a shirtless werewolf to become the face of democracy. When Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson launched the state's first-ever contest for Michigan I Voted stickers, the goal was simple: get people excited about the 2024 presidential election. They wanted local art. They wanted community engagement. They got a muscular wolf howling at the moon while shredding its clothes.
It was glorious.
That specific design, created by a 12-year-old from Grosse Pointe named Jane Hynous, didn't just win its category. It basically broke the internet for a few weeks. It was "unhinged" in the best way possible. It was funny. It was weird. And most importantly, it made people actually want to go to a polling place just to snag a piece of adhesive history.
The Viral Power of Michigan I Voted Stickers
Most "I Voted" stickers are boring. They’re usually a tiny flag or some basic block lettering that looks like it was designed in Microsoft Word in 1997. Michigan decided to flip the script by opening the floor to residents of all ages. This wasn't just a PR stunt; it was a massive operation.
Over 480 designs were submitted by kids, teens, and adults. A task force of college students—the Michigan Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force—had the unenviable job of narrowing those down to 25 semifinalists per category. Then, the public took over. More than 57,700 votes were cast by Michiganders to decide which nine designs would end up on the shirts of millions of voters.
The Breakdown of the Winning Designs
The state divided the winners into three groups: K-8, High School, and General Entry.
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Jane Hynous, the mastermind behind the werewolf, was a student at Brownell Middle School when she drew it. She told reporters she was just bored in class watching the movie National Treasure and decided to riff on the "Wolf Ripping Shirt" meme. It’s the kind of peak-internet humor that resonates because it’s so unexpected. Her design alone grabbed over 20,000 votes, which is wild for a local sticker contest.
But she wasn't the only winner. Other designs included:
- Gabby Warner (Rockford): A sweet, colorful design featuring the Great Lakes state.
- Katelyn Stouffer-Hopkins (Lansing): A classic, hand-drawn feel that captured the Michigan spirit.
- Olivia Smiertka (Holly): Representing the high school category with a polished, modern look.
- Andrew Brasher (Saint Louis): Another high school standout from Alma High School.
- Madelyn VerVaecke (Livonia): One of the general entry winners whose design brought a professional touch to the mix.
These aren't just stickers. They are artifacts of a specific moment in Michigan's political history where creativity was used to lower the temperature of a very high-stakes election year.
Why People Went Wild for the "Unhinged" Designs
There’s a reason these Michigan I Voted stickers went viral beyond just being funny. Politics is exhausting. In 2024, the airwaves were filled with attack ads and constant stress. Seeing a werewolf on a sticker felt like a breath of fresh air. It reminded people that beneath all the policy debates and partisan fighting, there are just regular people (and creative middle schoolers) who live here.
Clerks across the state reported that people were specifically asking for the "werewolf sticker." In some places, like Howell, clerks noted that voters were helping themselves to more than one because they wanted to collect them all. The state ended up ordering over one million stickers to meet the demand.
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"I was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and creativity from the people of our great state," Secretary Benson said during the announcement. She wasn't kidding. The engagement numbers were higher than anyone anticipated for a graphic design competition.
The Practical Side: How Clerks Handled the Hype
It wasn't all just memes and fun. Local clerks had to actually manage the logistics. The Michigan Department of State made these stickers available for clerks to order for their specific precincts. However, not every single precinct had every single design.
If you voted in 2024, your experience depended heavily on your local clerk's inventory. Some clerks preferred the traditional stickers, while others embraced the chaos and ordered the full variety. Early voters often had the best luck getting the viral designs before they ran out. By the time Election Day rolled around in November, the most popular designs—looking at you, werewolf—were already becoming "limited edition" items in certain counties.
Misconceptions About the Sticker Contest
One thing people often get wrong is thinking these stickers were AI-generated. The rules were actually very strict about that. Every design had to be original, non-AI artwork. The contest was specifically designed to showcase human creativity, which is why Jane’s hand-drawn wolf felt so authentic. It had soul.
Another common myth was that these stickers cost the taxpayers a fortune. In reality, the sticker budget is a standard part of election outreach. By using local artists for free (in exchange for "special recognition" and the cool factor of seeing your art on a million people), the state actually saved on professional design fees while generating way more buzz than a marketing agency ever could.
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How to See the Designs Today
Even though the 2024 election is behind us, the legacy of these stickers lives on. You can still find high-resolution versions of all nine winners on the official Michigan.gov website. Many fans have even turned them into digital wallpapers or printed their own (for personal use, obviously).
The success of this program has basically guaranteed that we’ll see it again. It proved that if you give people a way to participate that isn't just "check a box," they’ll show up.
If you’re looking to get involved in future contests or just want to see what Michigan is up to for the next cycle, here are the best steps to take:
- Follow the Secretary of State: Check the official Michigan SOS social media accounts. They usually announce these contests in the spring of election years.
- Check Your Local Clerk: If you want a specific sticker next time, ask your local clerk early in the absentee voting period. They are the ones who decide which designs to stock.
- Get Drawing: If you’re a Michigan resident, start thinking about your design now. The bar has been set pretty high by a werewolf, so you’ve got to bring your A-game.
The 2024 sticker saga showed that sometimes, the best way to get people to care about a serious topic like voting is to not take the "reward" too seriously. Whether it’s a werewolf or a beautiful landscape, these stickers became a badge of honor for Michiganders everywhere.