Knit Democracy Together
Counting the Votes: The Process, the People, and the Electoral College
Recent elections have been plagued by allegations of voter fraud and there is growing distrust in the legitimacy of our democratic institutions. Knit Democracy Together will demystify the electoral process and your rights as a voter as it engages citizen crafters in building a collaborative sculpture of the New Hampshire State House.
Artist and former election lawyer Eve Jacobs-Carnahan will give a nonpartisan presentation and lead a discussion about the electoral system, highlighting variations in state election rules across the country. Attendees will learn more about voting mechanics, counting ballots, and the electoral college and gain confidence in recognizing and responding to misinformation to prepare for the 2024 presidential election.
More than a lecture or discussion session, attendees will contribute to a collaborative sculpture of the New Hampshire State House made of the knitted and crocheted pieces stitched at each of the six circles around the state, a visual representation of individuals’ participation in lawmaking and the democratic process. In June, the completed sculpture will be unveiled and publicly exhibited at the NH State Library in Concord, alongside participants’ stories about voting and participating in the electoral process.
Materials will be provided. No prior knitting or crocheting experience needed.
About the facilitator: Prior to becoming a full-time visual artist, Eve Jacobs-Carnahan served as a lawyer in the Vermont Attorney General’s Office where she specialized in election law. She was the lead trial attorney defending Vermont’s campaign finance law in Randall v. Sorrell, decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2006. Eve makes narrative sculptures incorporating knitting. Using the comforting quality of yarn and the charming attraction of birds, her sculptures tell allegorical stories about society. Her artwork is featured in Astounding Knits! 101 Spectacular Knitted Creations and Daring Feats by Lela Nargi (Voyageur Press 2011). She gives talks on the history of knitted art and the use of knitting by artists engaged in social action. Eve was named a 2021 Creative Community Fellow New England by National Arts Strategies and the Barr Foundation. She earned a B.A. with Honors from Swarthmore College and a J.D. from the University of Chicago.
Knit Democracy Together is part of New Hampshire Humanities' 2024 United We Stand initiative, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
