On Saturday, Aug. 23, a pop-up exhibit titled “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” opened on the first and second floors of the University of Idaho library.
The exhibit is part of the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street program, which collaborates with local organizations – such as the Idaho Humanities Council – to bring displays to communities across the country.
“Voices and Votes” focuses on the history of voting in America. It covers the grievances that led to the American Revolution and the efforts of various groups to gain the right to vote under the established American government. Additionally, the exhibit includes sections on voter disenfranchisement, the technology used to count votes and the history of political party symbols.
To supplement the exhibit, the Latah County Historical Society and the UI Library’s Special Collections and Archives department have put items from their own collections on display, including an assortment of political buttons from various campaigns.
Dulce Kersting-Lark, head of Special Collections and Archives, highlights third-party items specifically. “There is a great diversity of political thought to be explored there,” she said of the campaign material.
This exhibit comes ahead of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a date noted by both the IHC and Kersting-Lark.
“I hope [students] see that diversity of thought is a defining characteristic of our country and has endured during great challenges … I hope [the exhibit] makes them curious about government processes and sparks a desire to better understand how our large, unique, and multi-faceted country has endured for 250 years,” Kersting-Lark wrote in an email.
In addition to this exhibit, Markie McBrayer, a political science professor at UI, will be giving a presentation on democracy in Latah County on Thursday, Sept. 4, at 6:30 p.m. at Shattuck West. On Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 4 p.m., the documentary “Ahead of Her Time: Women’s Suffrage in Idaho” will be shown at the UI Library. The documentary will be followed by a discussion with Rebecca Scofield, chair of the UI history department.
“Voices and Votes” will be at the UI library until Friday, Oct. 3.
Cal Torres can be reached at [email protected].