FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ripley Middle School Student Named Finalist in West Virginia’s First-Ever “I Voted!” Sticker Contest
CHARLESTON, WV — West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner has announced that Ellie Crislip, an eighth-grade student at Ripley Middle School, has been selected as one of four regional finalists in the state’s inaugural “I Voted!” Sticker Contest. Crislip’s design, which features the iconic New River Gorge Bridge and the beloved state slogan “Almost Heaven,” emerged from a pool of over 1,100 submissions statewide. This competition marks the first time West Virginia has held a statewide contest for students to design the official stickers distributed to voters during early voting and on Election Day.
The journey to the regional finals was a rigorous multi-stage process involving students from 42 counties. Eighth-graders in public, private, and homeschool programs submitted hand-drawn artwork to their respective County Clerks. Each Clerk then assembled a panel to select a county winner. These winning designs were grouped into four regions, where a selection committee chose one finalist from each region to move to the public vote. Secretary of State Kris Warner noted that the participation was fantastic and that selecting winners from such a high volume of quality work was a difficult task.
The final decision now rests with the citizens of West Virginia. The Secretary of State’s Office invites the public to view the four finalist designs and vote for their favorite online at tinyurl.com/2jz5zwbk . Voting will remain open until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, with a limit of one vote per email address.
The grand prize winner will be officially revealed on March 11 at the State Capitol. The announcement will coincide with National Civic Learning Week, highlighting the importance of youth engagement and civic pride in the democratic process.