Making the Voters Chicken: Follow the Instructions

9 x 11.5 x 3.5 inches, yarn, felt, rigid foam, canvas, wire, paper, ink, acrylic paint, fabric stiffener, wood box

This work asks whether we have really achieved universal suffrage. It points to a weakness in the promise of equal voting rights. For many people, having an opportunity to vote by mail is critical. Work distance or hours, and family care obligations may prevent them from taking time off to vote in person. This is especially true where polling stations are understaffed, and voters wait in lines for an hour or more.

Some state legislatures have enacted laws making voting by mail very burdensome. Successfully following all the rules and doing so within the narrow time parameters allowed can be daunting. Sometimes it seems as if barriers are not designed to improve election security of the ballots but rather to catch people unaware and disqualify their votes.

This work is part of a series called Making the Voters Chicken.

Artwork and image ©2021 Eve Jacobs-Carnahan