With an election behind and an inauguration ahead, a Census in progress, and the electoral map in motion, California Humanities is excited to announce the launch of our new statewide initiative, California on the Ballot.
Through California on the Ballot, we invite the people of California and beyond to reflect and talk—with neighbors, historians, election experts, and more—about the past, present, and future of electoral engagement in California.
Questions at the heart of our series explore the stories behind today’s electoral reality and prospects for the future. What is the story behind the Electoral College, and what is California’s role in it? How did watershed moments of expanding voter exclusion – such as suffrage and civil rights – change California’s electoral politics? How will we vote in 2040?
Watch our first event, “What’s the Deal with Direct Democracy”, with Rachael Myrow of KQED recorded in October. It explores the life and times of the California ballot initiative, from prizefighting (1914) to the definition of marriage (2000) to today.
We invite all who have engaged in the electoral process – either in California or further afield – as well as those who have not been able to participate because of age, accessibility, geography, status, or other barriers.
Programs and activities will take place virtually during the next several months in various modalities to reach people in different ways. We hope you will join us for this free series of online events beginning in January. Details and a schedule of dates can be found here.
For more information, please write to Kirsten Vega at kvega@calhum.org.
This initiative is funded by the “Why it Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation” initiative, administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and funded by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
