Wake voters can get a unicorn sticker for voting early. Here’s the story behind it
This story was updated Feb. 20, 2024.
On a white unicorn with a purple mane and tail, a person surrounded by stars throws their arms and head back and shouts “I VOTED EARLY!!” trailing red, white and blue magic behind them.
It’s the creation of Shannon Fisher, a sixth-grader and Wake County’s election sticker winner.
The new sticker is available to Wake County residents who vote early. The sticker was also distributed in the 2024 primary election in March.
Accolades for the winning design and the contest came pouring in on social media when the winning design was first announced.
It gained new attention during the primary as early voters snagged their sticker and the likes of Rep. Deborah Ross, who represents Wake County, posted pictures of it on X, formerly Twitter.
In the summer of 2023, the unicorn sticker rose to the top out of 100 submissions and 10 semi-finalists with 28% of the vote after a two-week voting period.
“The enthusiasm and support for these students have been wonderful to see – nearly 7,000 people cast votes!” Elections Director Olivia McCall said in a news release in June 2023. “We have so many talented young people in our community, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who participated.”
A design featuring a gray squirrel with the words “I voted squiearly” came in a close second. It was designed by Thomas Bradley, a 10th-grader at Grace Christian School.
The social media chatter was effusive when the unicorn sticker was named as the winner.
With the renewed attention this month, writer Jeremy Markovich wrote about the sticker in his N.C. Rabbit Hole blog. He called the design “transcendent.”
“I wanted to make it fun, and I just like unicorns,” Shannon told Markovich. “And my brother’s sitting on the unicorn.”
This story was originally published June 23, 2023 at 2:28 PM.
