# This is Ulster County, New York's version of "Boaty McBoatface" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 20, 2022, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286 "2022-07-20T22:36:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/1 "2022-07-20T22:36:07Z")
They had an art contest for teenagers, to design the “I Voted” stickers to be given out next November. The number of votes speaks volumes. LOL and SFW. [https://elections.ulstercountyny.gov/i-voted-sticker-contest/](https://elections.ulstercountyny.gov/i-voted-sticker-contest/) ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/2 "2022-07-20T23:12:22Z")
Love it. I voted for a nice one because that’s how I roll - today anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/3 "2022-07-20T23:31:01Z")
I went with the lady holding the big sign. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/4 "2022-07-20T23:34:44Z")
Oh, I voted, and you KNOW which way I went. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/5 "2022-07-21T00:13:23Z")
Ok, so the web site says these are the _finalists_. The fact that that one made the cut makes me curious as to exactly how they selected the finalists, and what the rest of the entry pool was like. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/6 "2022-07-21T01:12:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I went with the lady holding the big sign. Me, too, but it has no chance against that creepy old man spider. 93%??? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/7 "2022-07-21T11:03:10Z")
So, I voted. Do I get a sticker? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/8 "2022-07-21T12:03:50Z")
This should be interesting. The key difference between this and the debacle concerning Mr McBoatface is that this is something directly linked to a democratic process. There would seem to be less scope here to dismiss the most popular entry. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/9 "2022-07-21T12:49:52Z")
Still, an obvious copout comes to mind: take the top two, and offer people a choice of which sticker they want. I’m not even sure I disapprove. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/10 "2022-07-21T13:06:12Z")
I think that’s a brilliant design and I’d almost vote just to get the sticker, which means it did its job. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/11 "2022-07-21T13:49:40Z")
On the other hand, they might throw the whole thing out, seeing as of right now there are 50K more votes than residents of the county. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/12 "2022-07-21T14:24:17Z")
I feel bad for the other 5 finalists. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/13 "2022-07-21T14:24:21Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > right now there are 50K more votes than residents of the county. Ohhhh… that’s going to feed the wingnuts claiming widespread election fraud in 2020 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/14 "2022-07-21T16:18:11Z")
Why? I seriously and unironically think that’s a good design. It has whimsy and style. It is identifiable from a distance. It brings buzz to the “brand” you are selling (in this case, voting.) It’s youthful (the demographic you especially want to target with voting.) I might move the “I VOTED” a tad over to the right, but I like the composition overall. Maybe take out the red in the eyes and make them white or something more contrasting, but I love this damned this. The other ones are rather blah. The cartoonish girl with the “I VOTED” sign is the only other one I like. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/15 "2022-07-21T18:23:26Z")
Mostly because they put as much or more effort into their designs, but are getting in total less than 10% of the votes. I don’t feel bad because they’re losing, but they’re getting crushed. And maybe a little because they’re getting crushed by a terrifying spider creature. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/16 "2022-07-21T19:02:56Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I don’t feel bad because they’re losing, but they’re getting crushed. I entered an online tattoo contest way back in the day, when the internet was a new thing. I was proud of the piece I’d entered, loading it from a big floppy. I checked on the voting several times a day, but the shop that sponsored the contest was a small shop and their site got little traffic. I had 17 votes (mostly friends and family) and the other entries had similar numbers but I was in first place. I started mentioning the contest online in forums like FARK. I was just trying to drive more traffic to the site, but I didn’t realize people would recognize my user name and vote for me. Before long I was in first place with 3,000 votes. Second place had 93 votes. I was embarrassed, notified the shop, and asked them to remove my entry. Meanwhile, they were thrilled with all the traffic and kept my entry up. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2022, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/17 "2022-07-22T01:53:38Z")
I actually saw this story on “The Young Turks” YT channel. YT also introduced me to the Hydraulic Press Channel a few years ago. They aren’t entirely about ultra-left wing politics. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2022, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/18 "2022-07-22T06:26:24Z")
Woodstock is in Ulster County, 20 minutes from Marbletown, where the sticker designer lives. It still has an artsy, offbeat vibe. I’m willing to bet that that teen has been spending time in Woodstock. And whoever is getting votes in for the contest is doing quite a job. 238K votes in a rural county with a total population of 180K. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2022, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/19 "2022-07-22T14:33:09Z")
If I lived in that county I would vote _just_ to get that sticker, so seems like if the purpose is to get people to vote it’s doing its job quite well! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2022, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286/20 "2022-07-22T14:51:09Z")
Is there any indication that they only want residents of the county in the voting? I certainly didn’t have to put in any effort, even one as minimal as saying which community in the county I lived in, to vote. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-ulster-county-new-yorks-version-of-boaty-mcboatface/968286.md?page=2)