Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry and New Orleans artist Terrence Osborne unveil Louisiana's new "I Voted" sticker at the Old Governor's Mansion on July 28, 2026. Photo credit: Andrew Greenstein
The next time you cast your ballot, your “I Voted” sticker will look a little different.
The crawfish named Mark de Ballot is being retired; in its place is a work of art created by New Orleans artist Terrence Osborne.
“The image is of a trumpet,” says Osborne in describing his work of art, “and my idea is, if a sound could come out of the trumpet that represented Louisiana, what would it look like?
“I immediately thought of doing magnolias,” Osborne continued. “And then there’s a Mardi Gras bead that is pointing southeast, so it’s a nod to New Orleans.”
The decision to go with magnolias was an easy one for Osborne.
“The magnolia is our state flower,” Osborne points out. “So naturally that was going to be the choice.”
Osborne says he created his image in a way to symbolize the trumpet blaring the story of Louisiana through images.
“If Louisiana had a sound, what would it look like? So that’s the idea. It’s beads and magnolias protruding out of the bell of the horn,” Osborne says. “It is definitely a tribute to our heritage of Jazz music, and music in general, in the state of Louisiana.”
Osborne’s creation is the state’s sixth “I Voted” sticker, and Osborne is the fifth Louisiana artist featured as part of the series.
The “I Voted” sticker program started 10 years ago, when artist George Rodrigue used his iconic Blue Dog to help get the vote out.
Other Louisiana artists who have lent their talents to the “I Voted” sticker program include Tony Bernard, Becky Fos and William Joyce.
Osborne has created the official posters for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival six times, and his art has been featured through partnerships with companies including Nike, the NBA, Coca-Cola, Hancock Whitney, Raising Cane’s and Tulane University, among others.
In 2017, Osborne opened a gallery in uptown New Orleans at 3029 Magazine St.
As for Mark de Ballot, there’s no truth to the rumor that he’s been boiled in Tony Chachere’s seasoning with potatoes and corn.
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