Explore all the ways that the fundamental aspects of voting—who can vote, when and where they vote, and methods of voting—have evolved since the U.S. was first established as a nation.

Since the United States was established as a nation in 1789, the fundamental aspects of voting—who can vote, when and where they vote, and methods of voting—have changed repeatedly. Recent court cases have focused on issues such as voter ID requirements, the use of absentee ballots, early voting, the redrawing of election districts, and how votes are tallied. Some states have added voting restrictions while others have enacted laws that make voting easier.

Included in the installation will be a published voter list from 1841, a sample ballot from the presidential election of 1912, bold posters used to get out the vote in the 1940s and 1950s, and a portable voting machine used to instruct poll workers and voters in the early 1960s. (Curated by Nina Nazionale, director of library curatorial affairs and research)

Exhibitions at New-York Historical are made possible by Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang, the Saunders Trust for American History, the Evelyn & Seymour Neuman Fund, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. WNET is the media sponsor.