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Ripley student’s design among finalists for West Virginia voting sticker

This design by Ripley Middle School student Ellie Crislip was named one of four finalists in West Virginia’s first-ever “I Voted!” Sticker Contest. The public will now get to vote with the winner scheduled to be announced March 11. (Image Provided)

CHARLESTON — A design by a Ripley Middle School eighth-grader was one of four selected as a finalist for the inaugural “I Voted!” Sticker Contest, hosted by the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office.

Now residents can vote for their favorite.

Ellie Crislip of Ripley Middle School was among more than 1,100 eighth-grade students to submit artwork for the contest. His entry, featuring the New River Gorge Bridge and the slogan “Almost Heaven,” was selected as the winner for one of four regions.

The contest is the first-ever statewide competition to design artwork for the stickers given to voters when they vote in person early or on Election Day. The contest was limited to eighth-grade students in public and private schools as well as eighth-graders who are homeschooled.

Students from 42 counties submitted artwork to county clerks. Each clerk then assembled a group of judges to select a county winner. Artwork from those first-place county winners was then submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office for the regional competition.

County winners were then placed in one of four regions, and a selection committee chose one winner from each region.

“The participation in our first-ever sticker contest was fantastic,” Secretary of State Kris Warner said in a release. “More than 1,100 students from all over the state submitted hand-drawn designs. Selecting the county and regional winners was not an easy task.”

The next step in the contest is for the general public to vote online at tinyurl.com/2jz5zwbk. People can vote for one design, with a limit of one vote per email address.

Voting will continue until 4:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27. The winner will be announced on March 11 during National Civic Learning Week at the State Capitol.

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