About California on the Ballot
In the political experiment that is the American republic, California may be the most visible laboratory. Our state’s variety of cultures, languages, and opinions yields a nearly infinite variety of possibilities for civic engagement. From writing poetry to running for office, from voter drives to direct actions, residents of the Golden State constantly seek new opportunities to forge a more just society—and will continue to do so as our electorate continues to diversify in the future.
“The ‘California Dream’ is capacious,” Dr. William Deverell observed during California Dreamin’. “It can absorb hopes and wishes beyond the conventional Gold Rush dreaming that we tend to caricature. [It] can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people.”
Through California on the Ballot, a series of virtual events, we reflect on what civic engagement currently looks like in California, examine its roots, and ask what changes might soon be in store. In 12 statewide programs since the elections of 2020, we have heard the perspectives of historians, artists, journalists, civil servants, and archivists through panel discussions, interviews, displays of historical artifacts, film clips, and Q&A sessions with viewers.
California on the Ballot is made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of their A More Perfect Union initiative and was launched with funding from the Why it Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation initiative, administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
California on the Ballot Season 2
(October 2021 to September 2022)
California on the Ballot S2 Executive Summary
California on the Ballot S2 White Paper
Resources for Further Engagement
California on the Ballot Season 1
(October 2020 to April 2021)
California on the Ballot Executive Summary Report
California on the Ballot White Paper
Resources for Further Engagement
California on the Ballot Experiences
Show & Tell: What Can We Learn from Artifacts of California Elections?
Take a trip back through California’s voting history in this show-and-tell led by historian Susan D. Anderson and archivists from across the state. Hear seldom-told stories of struggles for voting rights and representation, from Suffrage to Civil Rights and more. Recorded February 2021.
Speakers: Angela Brinskele, Frances Kaplan, Sean Dickerson, Tamara Martin, Xaviera Flores
The Electoral College: What Were the Founders Thinking?
The Electoral College is an original American model, never duplicated outside of the country. Created after lively debate in the last days of the five-month long Constitutional Convention of 1787, it set forth that presidents would be selected — not by popular vote — but by electors in each state. What is its legacy today, in a more populous and mature America? Recorded January 2021.
Speakers: Sonja Diaz, Karthick Ramakrishnan, Mindy Romero, Dan Schnur
California on the Ballot: What’s the Deal with Direct Democracy?
From the legality of prize fighting (1914) to the definition of marriage (2000), Californians have approved 132 ballot measures, with profound and long-lasting consequences for the state. Recorded October 2020.
Speakers: Jason Cohn, Rachael Myrow, Joe Mathews, Raphael Sonenshein