It’s a small pleasure, but receiving an “I Voted” sticker after casting my ballot is one of my favorite parts of the whole voting process.
asserted
I → ’ → process
I slap the sticker on my chest and spend the rest of the day feeling like I accomplished a little something.
asserted
I → slap → something
I participated in democracy and everyone who sees me will know it.
asserted
who → participate → it
Artificial intelligence robbed me of that small joy this year and replaced it with a small horror.
asserted
intelligence → rob → horror
My “I Voted” sticker is AI-generated slop.
asserted
sticker → vote → ?
Getting a little sticker when you vote has been a tradition in the US since the 1980s.
asserted
you → get → 1980s
It’s a symbol of the election cycle.
asserted
It → ’ → cycle
People take selfies and post them or share them with friends.
asserted
People → take → friends
It’s a celebration of democracy and a small way to pressure people into going to the ballot box.
asserted
It → ’ → box
Are “I Voted” stickers worth the cost?
asserted
stickers → vote → cost
A cemetery in New York has spent time and money tending to the grave of Susan B Anthony because voters coat it in stickers during voting season.
asserted
voters → spend → season
In 2008, companies like Starbucks and Ben and Jerry’s ran afoul of election laws for offering free treats to people who showed their “I Voted” stickers.
asserted
I → run → stickers
It’s appropriate but depressing that I got an AI slop “I Voted” sticker in 2026, the year it feels like the mainstream began to reckon with AI.
asserted
mainstream → ’ → AI
It’s a busy circular nightmare.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
“I Voted” is spelled out in small bronze text at the top of the ring.
asserted
I → vote → ring
Bronze laurels encircle a bronze bald eagle that stretches atop the American flag.
asserted
that → encircle → flag
Below that, another line reads — as best I can tell — “CEKEVPATIVG EDELDOA.”
asserted
I → read → EDELDOA
I assume this was meant to say “CELEBRATING FREEDOM," but whoever churned out this slop wasn’t using the latest models and the fine detail is lost.
asserted
detail → assume → models
I put the sticker on reluctantly, but I was not proud.
asserted
I → put → sticker
I sent a photo of the offending sticker to journalist friends with my face cropped out.
asserted
I → send → face
They immediately noticed it was AI-generated.
asserted
it → notice → ?
I did not post my sticker online.
asserted
I → post → sticker
I shared it with no one else.
asserted
I → share → one
My democratic joy turned to shame.
asserted
joy → turn → shame
A few hours later, a friend sent me a selfie.
asserted
friend → send → selfie
He’d just left the voting booth.
asserted
He → leave → booth
His sticker was beautiful, tasteful, a testament to the subtle art of the “I Voted” sticker.
asserted
I → vote → sticker
A red ring enclosed a blue field.
asserted
ring → enclose → field
The crescent and palmetto (symbols of South Carolina) sat elegantly behind a bold white “I VOTED.”
asserted
I → sit → VOTED
His sticker catches the eye.
asserted
sticker → catch → eye
Passers-by will know exactly what the sticker says.
asserted
sticker → know → what
They know he voted.
asserted
he → know → ?
Anyone looking at my sticker will wonder how I spilled some bronze paint on my chest.
asserted
I → look → chest
I trembled with indignation.
asserted
I → tremble → indignation
One town over from me they’re giving out the good stickers and I’m stuck with slop.
asserted
I → give → slop
First my town of 12,000 installs 33 Flock cameras and now this?
asserted
town → install → cameras
I spent some time scrolling through social media to see other “I Voted” stickers.
asserted
I → spend → stickers
Michigan runs a contest where students can submit their own idea for a sticker and the state will print up the winners.
asserted
state → run → winners
Kentucky, Albany, and several other places around the country do the same.
asserted
Kentucky → do → same
Louisiana commissions local artists to produce gorgeous stickers.
asserted
Louisiana → commission → stickers
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
