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Where do 'I Voted' stickers come from?

The sticker reportedly first showed up in the 1980's during the Ronald Regan era. A number of different organizations claim they came up with the idea.

You have probably seen a lot of people wearing "I Voted" election stickers during Election Day.

Well, the bi-partisan badge has a long history. The sticker reportedly first showed up in the 1980's during the Ronald Regan era. A number of different organizations claim they came up with the idea.

The Phoenix Realtors Association claims they were the first to hand them out. An election supply company out of North Carolina says they designed the sticker, but the first president to actually wear the sticker was George H.W. Bush.

The sticker is not just a badge of pride. Paula Lee from the League of Women Voters says it also a reminder.

"Well, when other people see them on friends or strangers on the street, it reminds them to vote," Lee said."

That reminder can spread very quickly. You will often find people taking selfies with their "I Voted" stickers. In Rochester, New York, voters put the stickers all over Susan B. Anthony's gravesite. It's become a tradition to honor the woman who led the movement for women's right to vote.

"I Voted" stickers come in a variety of different styles and languages. Your local government often buys the stickers and the cost can add up.

For example, Intab is one of the leading "I Voted" sticker makers. If every one of the 19 million registered voters in California received their cheapest stickers at bulk price, it would cost around $105,000.

In 2012, Santa Clara County stopped putting the sticker in the mail-in ballots because it was costing them $90,000.

"The price is worth it if the sticker goes to actual voters," Lee said. "There is a number of studies that show the 'I Voted' stickers work and motivate others to vote."

Sacramento County, along with many other counties, don't provide "I Voted" stickers in your mail-in ballots. If you really want one, you can take your ballot to a polling station or go down to the county registrars office and ask for one.

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