Mini billboards: why candidates are turning to custom pins in the final stretch of the 2026 midterms
KAYSVILLE, UT – October 19, 2026 – With Election Day on November 3 just over two weeks away, campaigns are looking for low-cost ways to stay visible in the final stretch. Custom Pins Now (CPN), a provider of custom lapel pins, buttons, coins and patches, says one of the most effective tools in politics is also one of the smallest: the campaign pin.
Yard signs stay in one place. Digital ads disappear with a scroll. A pin travels with the person wearing it, to the grocery store, the ballgame, church and the office. Every supporter who wears one becomes a walking billboard and a personal endorsement at the same time.
“A billboard on the highway gets a glance. A pin on a neighbor’s jacket starts a conversation,” said Bradley Fry, Owner of Custom Pins Now. “For a school board or county commission race with a tight budget, pins are one of the few things that put a candidate’s name in front of voters face-to-face, every day, for pennies apiece.”
A tradition as old as the country
Campaign pins have been part of American elections from the start. Supporters wore commemorative buttons at George Washington’s inauguration in 1789. Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 campaign put the candidate’s photograph on small badges, so voters could see what he looked like. The celluloid button arrived in time for the 1896 race between William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan, and “I Like Ike” pins carried Dwight Eisenhower’s slogan across the country in 1952.
The format has lasted because it still works. A pin is affordable, personal and collectible long after the votes are counted. Many families keep a drawer of them from races decided decades ago.
Why small races feel the pressure most
National campaigns buy television time. A candidate for city council, county clerk or the local school board usually cannot. Those races are often decided by a few hundred votes, and they depend on volunteers who knock on doors and talk to neighbors.
A pin gives those volunteers something to wear while they do it. It puts the candidate’s name in the conversation without a word being said, at the farmers market, the hardware store or a Friday night football game.
Built for a late campaign calendar
Timing is the biggest challenge for campaigns this late in the cycle. To help, Custom Pins Now offers:
- Free design, so campaigns without a graphic designer can still get a professional look
- Proofs within four hours, so candidates can approve artwork the same day they order
- Rush production in 3 to 7 days, so pins ordered in October can arrive before Election Day
- Order sizes that suit local and first-time candidates, with typical campaign orders of about 100 pins
A campaign that sends its logo on a Monday morning can approve a proof that afternoon. Nothing goes into production until the campaign signs off on the proof. Rush orders that must finish in under 10 days are made in the USA, and shipping to a single address is free.
Matching the campaign’s look
Consistency matters in a short campaign. Voters should see the same colors on a pin that they see on the yard sign and the mailer. Custom Pins Now matches enamel colors to the Pantone Solid Coated system, the same color standard most print shops use for signs and literature.
Campaigns can choose the style that fits the message. Offset printed pins reproduce a candidate’s photo or a full-color logo in fine detail, and they can ship within 72 hours with a rush fee. Soft enamel and hard enamel pins, with raised metal lines and filled color, suit a keepsake for volunteers, donors and staff. Every pin is individually bagged and comes with a rubber or butterfly clutch, ready to hand out.
“Down-ballot races often decide things that affect people’s daily lives most directly, like schools, roads and local taxes,” Fry added. “Those candidates deserve the same visibility tools as the big campaigns, and pins are one of the most affordable ways to get it.”
After the votes are counted
Pins do not stop working on November 3. Winning campaigns order thank-you pins for volunteers and commemorative pins for swearing-in ceremonies. Advocacy groups use them to keep supporters connected between election cycles, and many local offices go back on the ballot in 2027.
Custom Pins Now’s design team works from Kaysville, Utah, with every order priced to include everything except applicable taxes. Purchase orders are accepted. Free design is available to campaigns, party organizations and advocacy groups through Custom Pins Now.
About Custom Pins Now
Custom Pins Now designs and manufactures custom lapel pins, challenge coins, patches and promotional products for businesses, organizations, sports teams and campaigns nationwide. Founded in 2018, the company has served thousands of customers. Learn more at custompinsnow.com.
Media Contact
Company Name: Custom Pins Now
Contact Person: Bradley Fry
Email: Send Email
Phone: +13853324553
Address:573 N Main St
City: Kaysville
State: Utah
Country: United States
Website: https://www.custompinsnow.com/
