Although I’m pissed that Prop. 87 didn’t get passed as a result of yesterday’s election, I am psyched that the cool design folks at AIGA, Design Observer, Design for Democracy, NewsAssignment.net, and Winterhouse Institute have created The Polling Place Photo Project,
a nationwide experiment in citizen journalism that seeks to empower citizens to capture, post and share photographs of democracy in action. By documenting their local voting experience on November 7, voters can contribute to an archive of photographs that captures the richness and complexity of voting in America.
With citizens’ images and the information that accompanies them, the Project becomes a research tool on how voting happens in America and how it can be designed to be easier, less confusing and more enjoyable. The project intends to collect photographs of every polling place in America, so you are encouraged to participate no matter where you vote, how large or small your polling place is, what kind of ballot you use, or what your party affiliation.
At the Polling Place Photo Project, voters can post their polling place photos from yesterday and rate their overall experience. Hopefully this project and other projects like it can help this country eventually create a better, less confusing voting environment, so that more people are comfortable taking the time out of their day to vote for the important issues.
