Design for Democracy: Student Design Contest for 2026 Election Judge Buttons

Calling all Hennepin County creatives with a passion for elections! Hennepin County Elections is hosting a design contest to create the official 2026 Election Judge buttons. The winning design will be worn by over 6,000 election judges throughout Hennepin County during Election Day – November 3, 2026.

Design submissions are open to students ages 8-18 who attend school and/or reside in Hennepin County. To enter the contest, parents and guardians must fill out a parental consent form and read through all contest rules and instructions. Design instructions and the submission form can be found at hennepincounty.gov/election-buttons. Entries must be received no later than September 7, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. For accessible application options, email electionbuttons@hennepin.us.

Designs must contain the words “Hennepin County Election Judge 2026” either with the Hennepin County template (attached to the application) or with their own font design with the required words. All words and images must be legible on 1.5-inch circle buttons. Designs may not include candidate names, campaign slogans, party logos, references to issues on the ballot, or contain offensive statements or images. Designs can be hand-drawn or digitally drawn, though all artwork must be original, non-AI generated and must not contain copyrighted or trademarked designs.

The top 10 designs chosen by an Elections panel will be displayed on hennepincounty.gov/election-buttons and will be voted on by the public. Voting will occur between September 14th, 2026, and October 5th, 2026. Any questions about the contest can be directed to Hennepin County Voter Outreach at electionbuttons@hennepin.us.