SUNDERLAND — When voters hit the polls in Sunderland, they’ll get an “I voted” sticker, as is tradition, although this time, they’ll have a choice between stickers with an eagle, a boater on water or a raised hand with a sign that says “voting rocks.”

The stickers are the result of the town’s first-ever election sticker contest, which formed out of a partnership between Town Clerk Wendy Houle and Sunderland Elementary School art teacher Issa Revell.

The end result was a fun competition for students and adults alike, as three students were crowned the winners after employees at the Town Offices cast their votes.

“I actually went to a conference with a bunch of town clerks and a couple clerks had done that,” Houle said, referencing a September town clerk conference in Southbridge. She also thanked Revell for coordinating the contest so quickly. “They were all very good and the plan is to have all of them and make a banner.”

Three winners were chosen, as the grades were broken down into the categories of first and second grades, third and fourth grades, and fifth and sixth grades. The first grade winner was Cole Misterka, the fourth grade winner was McKenna and the sixth grade winner was Iris. (Two of the families requested only first names be published for privacy reasons).

Cole said he had a lot of fun participating in the contest and he took inspiration for his eagle drawing from seeing a picture of one.

Sunderland joins a growing trend of towns around the country inviting kids to submit ideas for “I voted” stickers. A particular story that gathered national attention in 2022 came out of Ulster County, New York, where election officials there solicited entries from kids around the county.

The New York Times reported the first entry was from a 14-year-old who submitted a six-legged spiderlike creature with bloodshot eyes, which the student said fit the political mood at the time. From there, numerous other towns around the country have launched similar contests.

Houle said she placed an order for “quite a few” stickers and people will be able to choose which one they like.

“They all have a choice on voting day to choose which sticker they’d like,” Houle said, adding that the town “might need some” for May’s annual town election, too.

Revell noted the contest also served as an opportunity to plant the seed of civic engagement in students, even though they won’t be able to vote for nearly a decade.

“It was super fun. Even though they can’t vote yet, they can still be a part of the process,” Revell said, adding that the stickers could even entice some adults to get to the ballot box. “It might encourage people to vote.”

Early voting at the Town Offices, 12 School St., kicked off on Saturday in Sunderland and continues through Oct. 31. Election Day voting will be held at the Sunderland Public Library, 20 School St., from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.