Worcester channels 'Turtle Boy,' local landmarks with new Election Day stickers

By Abby Patkin

Worcester is shaking things up this year with a new line of Election Day stickers, and the city has embraced one of its more eccentric local landmarks for a featured design.

We’re speaking, of course, about “Turtle Boy.” (The statue, not the blogger.)

The city announced 10 new Election Day sticker designs last month as part of its “Create the Vote” campaign, a joint effort by Worcester’s Cultural Development Division and Election Commission.

Designed by nine Worcester artists, the stickers are meant to “reimagine” the classic “I voted” stickers voters typically receive after casting their ballot, the city explained in a Sept. 18 press release. The new line includes stickers in English, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, and Twi — a language spoken in Ghana.

A similar sticker campaign in Brookline paid homage to the town’s beloved turkeys.

Available for in-person and mail-in voting, Worcester’s stickers feature the phrase “My vote counts,” accompanied by illustrations that range from the Worcester skyline to Massachusetts’s official state dog, the Boston terrier.

The Burnside Fountain, colloquially known as “Turtle Boy,” graces another sticker. Featuring a bronze statue of a boy riding a sea turtle, the fountain has become something of an unofficial mascot for Worcester, the turtle’s unusual positioning inspiring more than one bawdy joke.

But in Kate and Greg Opperman’s sticker design, both boy and turtle are showing their Election Day spirit.

“The fact that the turtle and the boy are both holding ballots highlights that every vote counts and encourages folks to vote with their friends and family,” the artists said, per the city’s press release.

Early voting began Oct. 19, and the stickers have so far been a hit.

“Worcester voters are very excited by the new Election Day stickers, especially because the stickers were designed by residents and voted for by residents,” Deputy City Clerk Clare Robbins said in an email. “Multiple languages are also featured in the sticker designs, so it’s fun for folks to see their language on an Election Day sticker. Early voters are always eager to see which stickers are available at the early voting location.”

By Monday morning, 4,358 Worcester voters had voted early in-person, with another 14,863 voting early by mail, according to Robbins.

“We still have 5 days left of early voting, so if early voting has been any indication of how busy election day will be, we are looking at a high voter turnout for next Tuesday here in Worcester,” Robbins said.

I absolutely love Worcesters' obsession with our famous statue 😂 pic.twitter.com/0Cmwehlzsp

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between.

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