TheReview_Sept_Oct_2021_FINAL

Left to right: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor, Ann Arbor City Clerk Jacqueline Beaudry.

“The office, visible in the center of campus life, made it possible for students to register, request and receive an absentee ballot, vote, and return their ballot all in one visit.”

Enticing New College-Age Voters The artistic design of the office and its location at the Art Museum in the heart of U-M’s central campus was focused around a vision to create a welcoming and reassuring experience for new college-age voters. The office, visible in the center of campus life, made it possible for students to register, request and receive an absentee ballot, vote, and return their ballot all in one visit. Every detail was considered in the design, making the office both functional and beautiful. Design elements included new easier to read forms, instructional tables, and a step-by-step banner at the drop box to ensure ballots were signed, sealed, and ready for submission. Statewide Ballot Proposal 18-3 gave Michigan’s residents the ability to vote by absent voter ballot without having to provide a reason . Throughout the process, students had access to peer volunteers working with campus organizations such as Turn Up Turnout and the Big 10 Voting Challenge, as well as official city clerk’s office staff who were on hand Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. plus several Saturdays to register students and issue ballots. Over the 40-day period, the satellite office registered over 5,000 new voters and collected 8,501 ballots at its drop box. Bringing the democratic process to the students made for a better election day experience for everyone involved, including the clerk’s office, the students, and the entire Ann Arbor community.

possible in a more “normal” year. Stephanie Rowden and Hannah Smotrich, professors with the Stamps School of Art and Design and founders of the Creative Campus Voting Project, learned that due to COVID-19 UMMA’s beautiful, glassed-in gallery in the center of campus wouldn’t be used and the idea of a satellite city clerk’s office in a museum gallery started to take shape. “Given our focus on using art and design to clarify and make the voting process more visible, the venue could not have been more fitting, and the project aligned beautifully with UMMA’s commitment to foster civic engagement,” said Rowden. In late July, city clerk’s office staff met with officials from the Museum and Stamps School, toured the gallery, and plans began to officially move in this new, exciting direction. From the city’s perspective, the office would be fully functional—all of the necessary tools to register voters and issue and receive ballots would be in place—but this new concept would also be a working display of democracy in the glass gallery for all to see and join. With support from the university administration and the Museum of Art, the satellite city clerk’s office was approved by Ann Arbor city council and officially opened on September 22, 2020, National Voter Registration Day. The grand opening celebration included representatives from the city, U-M, and UMMA, as well as Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.