See You Later (in November), Alligator

What does an alligator wearing sunglasses and sporting a Fedora hat have to do with elections? Well, come November it may just signify that you voted in Sarasota County!

Yesterday I had the privilege of visiting Pine View School to announce the winner of our 2024 “I Voted” sticker design competition. In all, we received more than 350 entries from 14 Sarasota County schools! 

The contest winner is Pine View School ninth-grader Carys Smith. Carys’ design of an alligator holding a drink while lazily floating in the ocean stood out to me as a whimsical representation of the many things that make living in Sarasota County special – just be careful around those gators!

From left: Pine View School art teacher Mr. Miller, Principal Covert, Supervisor Turner, Carys Smith and her parents pose for a photo during the “I Voted” sticker design contest presentation.

Joining me for the announcement were Carys' parents, Pine View School Principal Dr. Stephen Covert and staff from Sarasota County School District. Thanks to their efforts, I was able to present Carys with a framed print of her “I Voted” sticker design, with her fellow art students and teacher, Mr. Miller, in attendance.

Carys’ design will be the official Sarasota County “I Voted” sticker used for the November 5, 2024 General Election. That means anyone who votes by mail (absentee), early in-person or on election day will be offered an “I Voted” sticker.

I am thrilled with the response we’ve received to this competition. I can’t wait to see our voters proudly wearing Carys’ design in November.

Join Us in August

By now, many of you are probably aware that 2024 is shaping up to be a very busy election year. You may also know that we are still actively recruiting poll workers. But did you know that August elections can be particularly challenging for poll worker recruitment?

That’s because many Sarasota County residents are out of town during that time. So, if you are planning to be in town for August and want to participate in the elections process, we would love to have you.

SarasotaVotes.gov