Los Alamos County honors 2026 I Voted sticker winners

Los Alamos County put student-designed election stickers at the center of a public recognition session, using the 2026 I Voted contest to reinforce civic participation before young residents ever reach the ballot box. County Council recognized the winners during its regular session at Fire Station 3 on N.M. 4 in White Rock, giving the clerk’s office a chance to show how a small piece of election branding can help build voting habits early.

The contest opened March 10, 2026, through the Los Alamos County Clerk’s Office and was offered to students in grades pre-K through 12. Designs were accepted with one of three phrases: “I Voted,” “I Voted Early,” or “Future Voter.” The original submission deadline was April 7, but the county later extended it to April 14, signaling continued outreach to local students and families. Winning designs were set to be printed and distributed as official stickers at all Los Alamos County voting locations for the 2026 election year.

County Clerk Michael D. Redondo said the contest encourages young local artists and helps them learn about the democratic process. That theme carried through the county’s decision to recognize winners and runners-up in a public council setting, where the artwork became part of the county’s official record rather than just a school project or one-time activity.

The county has done this before. In 2024, the Clerk’s Office said it received an overwhelming number of entries from youth designers, and the winning stickers were distributed at polling locations countywide. That year’s winners also received gift cards to local businesses, adding a small community reward to the electoral recognition. The clerk’s office said the contest has become a way to connect schools, families, and election workers in a setting that makes voting visible across the county.

The contest’s reach has also extended beyond county government. One 2024 winner, Eliana Michel, was publicly congratulated by the New Mexico School for the Deaf for placing second in the Los Alamos contest. That kind of recognition shows how a local election project can travel beyond council chambers and into classrooms, helping students see civic participation as something they can shape, not just inherit.

In Los Alamos County, the sticker contest is not just about who designed the best image. It is part of how election officials try to normalize voting, make polling places familiar, and connect the next generation to the county’s democratic process.