LAREDO MORNING TIMES (TEXAS) -- These days, a certain hype surrounding the stickers remains. People might lean toward using them for an opportune selfie, or simply feel a pang of remorse when one is missing from their vote-by-mail ballot.
“The sticker is equivalent to getting a lollipop when you’re a kid and you go to the doctor’s office so you don’t cry when you get a shot,” said Rebecca Eissler, an assistant professor of Political Science at SFSU. In other words, they serve as a physical reward you wouldn’t otherwise get from participating in the activity.
In spite of the freebies, though, wearing the sticker can serve as a simple morale booster.
“Voting can be an activity that’s not particularly fun — it takes some time to pick your candidate, or even figure out where your polling place is,” said Eissler. “It makes them feel better about having to put that effort in.”