More voting results: Kids choose next year’s dog tags
August 14, 2026 | By Lisa Scagliotti
Waterbury kids were asked to vote on next year's dog tag style. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
While Waterbury voters headed to the school gym to vote in Tuesday’s primary, many walked past a second opportunity to cast a ballot.
A table set up outside the school office had a sign with a call to youngsters coming through with their parents: “Kids Vote!” it said. “Choose the color and shape you want for the next Waterbury dog tag.”
The station had a stack of special ballots with pictures of several options for dog tag shapes that could be chosen for the 2027 tags. Dog owners receive the small metal tags with their dog license numbers when they register their pets each year.
The table was a special touch added by Town Clerk Wes Pollock and Assistant Town Clerk Myria McNally who were working their first election together. Both have started in their new roles earlier this summer.
The dog-tag vote was presented on an honor system – there were no election officials to monitor it given the more serious election business taking place inside the gym.
The ballot had several tag shapes including a star, a bone, a fire hydrant and a paw. It also had five color choices: red, orange, green, purple and gold.
Kids were asked to choose a shape and a color and to place their ballots in a large envelope on the table.
On Wednesday, McNally shared the results in an email to the Waterbury Roundabout: “The upcoming dog tag will be a Gold Paw!”
A total of 72 votes were cast. “Paw received 35 votes, winning by a mile!” McNally wrote.
The other shapes were just a fraction as popular: The bone and star shapes each had 12 votes; the hydrant had 9; a medallion shape received just 4.
The color results were a little trickier to decipher. While purple was the popular choice with 23 votes, gold was the choice of the most paw voters with 12 and a close second overall with 21 total votes. The decision acknowledges both trends.
McNally said the exercise was something different and a chance to engage kids who otherwise were there to just watch adults vote.
“We really hope this was fun for everyone (including the adults who may have snuck in some votes as well),” she joked.
Dog owners are asked to register their dogs that are six months or older every year by April 1.