Colorado - Jefferson County Clerk & Recorder (Colorado)
Program Title
The Sweet Smell of Democracy
Program Summary
To revitalize interest in an odd-year election, Jefferson County tapped into voter nostalgia by launching the nations first-ever scratch-and-sniff I Voted sticker. The project began as a youth engagement activity where students voted on scent swatches to define the smell of democracy. The winning fragrance is a complex blend described as sweet, spicy, and outdoorsy. It inspired a bilingual campaign that successfully boosted in-person turnout and garnered national media attention from outlets like Yahoo! News.
The design is a circular sticker featuring a Jefferson County ballot drop box nestled in a vibrant field of wildflowers under a rising sun. The top of the sticker displays the bilingual phrase I Voted! Yo Vot! while the right side features the Gen X-inspired tagline, I love the smell of democracy in the morning. Voters offered diverse interpretations of the scent, comparing it to everything from grandmas house to earthy tones. By turning a standard badge into a sensory experience, Jefferson County achieved the highest ballot return rate in the state and sparked a community-wide conversation about the democratic process.
The design is a circular sticker featuring a Jefferson County ballot drop box nestled in a vibrant field of wildflowers under a rising sun. The top of the sticker displays the bilingual phrase I Voted! Yo Vot! while the right side features the Gen X-inspired tagline, I love the smell of democracy in the morning. Voters offered diverse interpretations of the scent, comparing it to everything from grandmas house to earthy tones. By turning a standard badge into a sensory experience, Jefferson County achieved the highest ballot return rate in the state and sparked a community-wide conversation about the democratic process.
