Drawing the Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Voting in America

by Tommy Jenkins, Kati Lacker (Illustrator), Martha Jones (Introduction)

Overview

Drawing the Vote, an original graphic novel, looks at the history of voting rights in the United States and how it affects the way we vote today.

Author Tommy Jenkins identifies events and trends that led to the unprecedented results of the 2016 presidential election that left American political parties more estranged than ever. To balance these complex ideas and statistics, Kati Lacker’s original artistic style makes the book accessible for readers of all ages.

At a time when many citizens are experiencing challenges and apathy about voting and skepticism concerning our bitterly divided government, Drawing the Vote seeks to offer some explanation for how we got here and how every American can take action to make their vote count.

“Jenkins’s rousing work will inspire students to educate themselves on the issues—and, when the time comes, to vote early and often.” —School Library Journal

“A panoptic history of the vote that breaks down everything from gerrymandering to Americans for Prosperity’s dark influence, Drawing the Vote is a great pick for both adults and young Americans who want to understand what it means to be a voter.” —Shelf Awareness

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419739989
Publisher:	Abrams ComicArts
Publication date:	04/21/2020
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	436,288
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	10 - 18 Years

About the Author

Tommy Jenkins is the humanities division chair at Louisburg College in Louisburg, North Carolina, and an associate professor of English. He resides in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Table of Contents

Foreword Martha S. Jones v

Preface vii

Timeline of Key Events in Us Voting History viii

Chapter 1 By the People, for the People 1

Chapter 2 The Birth of a Nation: 1776-1861 25

Chapter 3 United We Stand, Divided We Fall: 1865-1900 43

Chapter 4 Reclaiming Her Time! 1807-2016 63

Chapter 5 Jim Crow Strikes Back! 1890-1965 84

Chapter 6 A Move to the Left, a Move to the Right: 1963-2009 126

Chapter 7 Party All the Time: 2009-2016 142

Chapter 8 Divide and Conquer: 2010-Present 163

Epilogue. Every Vote Counts 187

Notes 192

Acknowledgments 198

Editorial Reviews

01/13/2020

This rapid-fire history illustrates the evolution of and challenges to U.S. voting rights from the colonial-era Stamp Act to modern voter ID laws. Leading up to the 2018 midterm elections, Jenkins, a literature professor in North Carolina, asked his students if they planned to vote. To his dismay, only a few raised their hands. What, he wondered, could “show people, especially young people, how important voting is?” This graphic work takes that lofty aim, but in the contemporary context of the President calling elections “rigged” and foreign government’s interference in political campaigns, Jenkins notes, “it takes a Herculean effort to shake up the political status quo.” How, he argues, could the U.S. actually make it easier for more people to vote? Taking a broad survey of 250 years, at times the narrative unfolds like a well-illustrated Wikipedia article. But the exposition and Lacker’s simple but energetic illustrations combine to pack valuable information on each page, while making even complex issues (such as the racism of white suffragists who fought for the 19th Amendment) easy to follow. Suited best to younger readers new to the topic, Jenkins’s work lays out the high-stakes history clearly and succinctly. Agents: Su Wu and Judy Hansen, Hansen Literary. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

This is a great year to brush up voting rights, especially the laws surrounding distance voting, and this book is a great start.

GeekMom

A panoptic history of the vote that breaks down everything from gerrymandering to Americans for Prosperity's dark influence, Drawing the Vote is a great pick for both adults and young Americans who want to understand what it means to be a voter.

Shelf Awareness

"Jenkins’s rousing work will inspire students to educate themselves on the issues—and, when the time comes, to vote early and often."—School Library Journal - STARRED review

“This is a great year to brush up voting rights, especially the laws surrounding distance voting, and this book is a great start.”—GeekMom

“Written with a progressive tone, this work’s clear factual nature makes it a worthy read for anyone across the political spectrum…”—Library Journal

“A panoptic history of the vote that breaks down everything from gerrymandering to Americans for Prosperity's dark influence, Drawing the Vote is a great pick for both adults and young Americans who want to understand what it means to be a voter.”—Shelf Awareness

"The exposition and Lacker’s simple but energetic illustrations combine to pack valuable information on each page, while making even complex issues (such as the racism of white suffragists who fought for the 19th Amendment) easy to follow. Suited best to younger readers new to the topic, Jenkins’s work lays out the high-stakes history clearly and succinctly."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

06/05/2020

The act of voting seems deceptively simple, in which an individual's ballot is tallied with others until an equitable decision is reached. Here, debut creators Jenkins and Lacker show the truth to be a complicated series of historical compromises and outrageous manipulations. Pointing out pivotal junctures in which greed, commerce, and various self-interests motivated how and why voting changed, they bring fascinating connections to light. For instance, slave states wanting to count slaves as citizens but deny them the right to vote helped solidify the idea of the Electoral College with the Three-Fifths Compromise, the ramifications of which still effect election outcomes. Women's suffrage, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Tea Party, and the 2016 Election all undergo exploration beneath the artistic microscope. VERDICT Written with a progressive tone, this work's clear factual nature makes it a worthy read for anyone across the political spectrum, with the straightforward art and fast pace complimenting a thorough if breezy and complex history of the vote.—Douglas Rednour, Georgia State Univ. Libs., Atlanta

Library Journal

★ 01/01/2020

Gr 8 Up—After seeing his students become disillusioned following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, college professor and author Jenkins responded by creating a graphic novel that highlights key events and issues throughout history that have shaped the way Americans vote. He covers familiar topics such as the Boston Tea Party and women's suffrage but also sheds light on gerrymandering and voter intimidation. Jenkins's perspective is balanced, as he reflects on how both political parties have failed to address voting issues. Lacker's simple, uncluttered artwork balances out jam-packed text bubbles, adding clarity to the rich mosaic of information. VERDICT While voter apathy led to many refusing to participate in the 2016 elections, anticipation for the 2020 elections has been building steadily. Jenkins's rousing work will inspire students to educate themselves on the issues—and, when the time comes, to vote early and often.—Elise Martinez, Zion-Benton Public Library, IL

School Library Journal