Erika Earp: Civic Engagement and Local Elections, Iowa

Between December 2019 and January 2020 (just weeks before the pandemic), Smithsonian staff and their storytelling partners at the Peale, Baltimore, traveled to multiple states in the U.S. to ask residents of those states about voting experiences, the current state of American democracy, what issues brought them to the polls, how they made a difference in their communities, and what Americans' civic responsibilities were, among other complex questions.

Erika Earp (00:00): I think one of the first things we need to do as civic engagement is definitely vote. And vote in every election, I don't care if it's the president, I don't care if it's the dogcatcher. I don't care what it is, just vote. I don't care who you're voting for. I want everyone to vote. And it's more important to vote at the local level, in the local elections. That's who's going to affect you most. In your local community, vote for the mayor, vote for the city council, vote for everybody. Because I think the local elections have the lowest voter turnout and they're the most important.

(00:44): And, I think another thing that we need to do as responsible citizens is know what's happening. Know what the city council's doing. Actually read the city council minutes. Go to a meeting. Watch them if they're on TV. Just know what they're doing. You can go to the State House and watch them. There's a gallery. You can actually go watch the Iowa House, or the Iowa Legislature. You can watch them doing their jobs. And they're all down there. They don't have offices. Their offices are in there.

(01:13): So, I think it's just really important to know what's happening in your government, in your community, in your state, in the country, and just do it. See if there's somebody in town who, I don't know, mows the yards of businesses, or weeds. We have a group in Fort Dodge that goes around and they plant flowers, and they weed, and they rake the leaves, and that's really nice.

Asset ID: 2023.03.06.a-b
Themes: Voting, Elections, Local Elections, Civic Duty, Civic Responsibility, Community, Neighbors, Giving Back
Date recorded: October 16, 2019
Length of recording: 0:01:40
Related traveling exhibition: Voices and Votes: Democracy in America
Sponsor or affiliated organization: Main Street Iowa - Iowa Economic Development Authority
More information or related assets: https://www.thegazette.com/community/smithsonian-exhibit-launches-midwest-tour-of-voices-and-votes-democracy-in-america-in-cedar-rapid/