On October 14, 2020, The New York Public Library began its newest programming series, Work/Cited, which showcases the latest scholarship supported by the rich collections of The New York Public Library with a behind-the-scenes look at how the finished product was inspired, researched, and created. In its inaugural episode, NYPL's Meredith Mann and Alicia Cheng, author of This Is What Democracy Looked Like: A Visual History of the Printed Ballot, discussed American ballots' evolving graphic design and what they can tell us about the history of voting and elections.

Episode Recording and Transcript

A transcript of this event is available here.

Episode References and Additional Resources

• Digitized ballots available on NYPL's Digital Collections site
• Jill Lepore's "Rock, Paper, Scissors" article in the New Yorker about the history of voting and the ballot
• A Q&A with Alicia about her research at NYPL
• Alicia's (outdoor!) exhibition at Cooper Union's Foundation Building, located on 7th Street, between 3rd and 4th Avenue
• Information about NYPL's Center for Research in the Humanities, including the researcher study rooms
• Example of a ballot whose winding typography was meant to discourage "paster" candidate changes:

About the Work/Cited Series

Episodes of Work/Cited air monthly via Zoom. View our scheduled events on the NYPL calendar, and sign up NYPL's Research Newsletter to hear about future programs as they are announced.   And if you miss an episode, check the NYPL blog, where videos and links to related resources will be posted shortly afterward.