New York ? After spending 10 days in London with friends who were outspoken about their disdain for President Bush’s policies, Berns Rothchild came home wishing she had a way to show the world she didn’t vote for him.

“I sort of felt ashamed, and didn’t really want to be associated with being an American,” said Rothchild, who lives in New York City and voted for John Kerry.

Berns Rothchild, left, and her father, John, make opposing political statements with their Count

Her mother had a suggestion: bracelets, inspired by the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s popular “LIVESTRONG” bands, that would signal opposition to Bush.

Thousands of miles away, two women in Idaho had the same idea. So did a woman in Kansas. The result? At least three separate bracelet ventures targeting left-leaning citizens who want to wear their political affiliation on their wrists — and at least one competitor bearing the opposite message.

Rothchild, 35, is selling blue bracelets that say “COUNT ME BLUE,” while Laura Adams, of Fairway, Kan., offers blue bracelets that say “HOPE.” The McKnight family, of Moscow, Idaho, is even more direct with black bracelets proclaiming: “I DID NOT VOTE 4 BUSH.”

“It’s kind of like saying, ‘This is my tribe,'” said Adams, 43, a Kerry supporter.

All three ventures also have the aim of raising money for a variety of organizations.

Rothchild, who is selling the bracelets on the Web in packages of 10 for $20, plans to give part of her profits to UNICEF, and Adams has donated money from the sale of her $3 bracelets to Save the Children and Habitat for Humanity.

Rothchild said her venture had spawned a counterprotest — from her Republican father.

John Rothchild, a Miami Beach, Fla., resident who voted for Bush, has invested in 5,000 “COUNT ME RED” bracelets.

He has hired his daughter’s boyfriend, who created her Web site, to create his, which he launched this week.

“Now we’re sort of having a father-daughter competition to see who can sell more,” Berns Rothchild said.