The second quadrennial “Ballot Show”which focuses on the American electoral system, and the overall notion of voting with a ballot. Featuring works by: Daniel Aycock, Gary Baldwin, Thomas Broadbent, Ken Butler, Greg Curry, Lisa Dilillo, Hubert Dobler, Alicia Ehni, Mark Esper, Greg Haberny, Jody Hanson, Sean Hemmerle, David Kramer, Allan Packer, Meghan LeBorious, Mark McLoughlin, William Powhida, Ross Racine, Sante Scardillo, Jeremy Slater, Ward Shelly, Noah Sparkes, Miho Suzuki, Philip Simmons, Mark Stillwell, Kathleen Vance, Daniel John Weiner, Monika Wuhrer, and more.

Election rigging tactics have been around at least as long as elections, gerrymandering is still as popular as it was when it was officially named in 1812, ballot stuffing and uncounted votes still appear rampant, and now there is the concern of the effectiveness of electronic “paperless” ballots. This October the Front Room gallery will be presenting a group exhibition of artists that address the issues surrounding the current voting system in the United States of America and inequities that arise during the polling process of its citizens. The invited artists have been encouraged to build on the idea of choice and its effectiveness in this exhibition, which examines, reflects, or addresses the electoral process in the USA.

With the “Butterfly Ballot” controversy in Florida in 2000, and the problems encountered with people standing in line for many hours in the battleground states in 2004, one wonders if our government can actually get it right this time, “gosh darn it,” or if even wants to. Ironically, when, in 2003 Rumsfeld spoke of “old Europe” he was actually talking about countries (France and Germany) that in effect had newer governmental systems than the US currently has. In our two-party electoral college system, third party candidates have actually never stood a chance of victory, and our current system rewards those winners who perpetuate it; the losers have never been able to effect any change.

When we had the last ballot show at the Front Room in 2004, gas was less than $2 a gallon, real estate value was on the rise and the unemployment rate was low. Additionally, we are now embroiled in at least two never-ending wars in the Middle East, and our economy is described using words like “meltdown” and “free-fall.” Strangely we have BOTH candidates running on the platform of change, and whoever inherits the trouble we are in will have his hands tied just maintaining stability. And yet, we still can only hope that the next winner will be someone the country actually voted for.