A4D recommends: Vote in the primary election
“The power of art is the power to exchange ideas and understand ourselves.”
In each issue of the Artists 4 Democracy newsletter, we share actions that you as an artist can take to help strengthen our democracy. We also profile an artist whose work reflects democratic values.
ACTION ITEM
Vote in the primary election
The 2024 election season is in full swing. Presidential primaries began in January in Iowa and continue almost weekly until mid-June. (Look up the date of your state’s primary.) You can think of them a bit like the playoffs that lead to the general election in November.
If the only thing you’re paying attention to is the Presidential primary, then you’re missing most of the action! Depending on where you live, this year you might also get to vote for
City council
School board
County commission
Judges
State legislature
Congress
You might have an opportunity to vote on state or local ballot initiatives. This is where you vote directly on an issue, rather than voting on a person to represent you in government.
There are four main reasons we urge you to vote in the primary election:
This is your chance to have a voice in deciding the finalists everyone will vote on in the general election. If there’s a candidate you really love (or really hate), by voting now you can help make sure they do (or don’t) make it on the ballot in November.
Many voters don’t remember to vote in the primaries. That means when you do show up, your vote counts even more.
For some local offices, this is the only election. The person who wins will take office.
In jurisdictions where the vast majority of voters are registered with one party, whoever wins the primary election is almost certain to win the general.
Remember Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s surprise win in 2018? It was such a big deal when she won the primary because her district always sends a Democrat to Congress. Anyone who lives in her district and wants to keep her in office needs to show up for her for the primary election. There are local races and Congressional districts like this all across the US. Maybe you live in one of them too.
Local and state elected officials make more laws that affect you and your community on a daily basis than the President or Congress. That includes things like the cost of college tuition, minimum wage, air and water quality, affordability of healthcare, the condition of roads and sidewalks, reliability of public transportation, and much more.
It’s even possible sometimes for state and local governments to fix problems created by bad decisions at the national level. For example, when Roe v Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, they left it to the states to decide if abortion should be legal. Since then at least ten states have taken action to expand access to safe and legal abortion (look up your state).
So vote in the primary, and remember to vote in your state and local races too!
ANOTHER ARTIST FOR DEMOCRACY
Cintia Segovia Figueroa
“Democracy is messy. Not everyone will agree about everything.”
For artist Cintia Segovia Figueroa, democracy is about participating in the life of your community. Voting in elections is a critical part of it, but engagement shouldn’t end there. You can help make sure that others are able to vote. You can write letters to elected officials. You can attend meetings of local government and community groups.
You can also take the time to truly listen to people who disagree with you and seek to understand their underlying intentions. For Segovia, exercising empathy is a critical part of democracy.
In an ideal democracy, she says, all elected officials would listen to their constituents. They would look out for the communities they serve and do the best they can for the collective. If we want to have politicians like that, we have to elect good people. To do that, we have to show up and vote. But it’s not enough to vote for President and Congress. We also have to vote for good people for school board, city council, county board of supervisors, and the state legislature.
Segovia was born in Mexico City. After living and working in LA for many years, she now lives in the small town of Murray, Kentucky, where she teaches photography and new media in the Department of Art and Design at Murray State University. Of the 17,500 people who live in the town of Murray, nearly 85 percent are white.
Growing up, she was surrounded by a deep disenchantment with the political system in Mexico. Theirs is a three-party system where all parties are seen as deeply corrupt. For the American political system, she still sees hope. “Part of why I feel so passionate about participating in my community and getting out the vote here is because I don’t want the US to become like Mexico.”
As an artist, Segovia seeks to put her ideas about immigration and identity in front of people in a way that promotes dialogue. She wants to create entry points that resonate with people, based on experiences and values we have in common. She seeks to ignite curiosity and encourage questions.
“I’m not great at talking about my emotions, but when I discovered art, I found a way to process what was going on and to understand myself.”
Her arcade game, “Tacometer,” was inspired by her experiences at ports of entry to the US and Mexico, where immigration officers “randomly” select travelers to inspect their belongings. While she questions how random those selections actually are, she is also exploring stereotypes and how politicians misuse terms like “American,” “immigrant,” “nationalist,” and “terrorist” to attack entire communities.
Among her newest works is a six-channel video installation, “Trotamundos,” filmed in Mexico City, LA, and Murray, inspired by deer hunting traditions in Mexico and Kentucky. In the videos Segovia walks through the landscapes of these three very different places, reflecting on how the journey has changed her, while also freeing herself from the expectations she carried with her along the way.
“Art should always be provocative,” she says. It should be timely, especially when it’s made in reaction to a historical or cultural moment. Cultural institutions struggle to be so responsive, since they have to plan for exhibitions and events far in advance.
Segovia focuses her political activism more on local and state issues than national politics. As a Latina and an artist with progressive politics living in a conservative rural community, she sees a real opportunity to connect with people and have a meaningful impact on city council, the local school board, and even statewide legislation.
“In LA I felt disconnected because I lived far away from the center of power. Here in Kentucky, in a way I’m swimming against the stream. At the same time, though, I can organize more easily.”
She encourages artists and art students to seek to build bridges with their communities through their art. The exchange of ideas and the shared aesthetic experience has the potential to open everyone’s minds, and help people to truly see each other.
Read more about Cintia Segovia Figueroa and see much more of work on her website, cintiasegovia.com.
Thanks for reading the Artists 4 Democracy Newsletter. Artists 4 Democracy promotes democratic and civic engagement by mobilizing artists to get involved in political action. Through voter registration drives, fundraisers, and events we seek to foster and protect our participatory democracy.
A4D is 100% run by artist volunteers. If you’d like to contribute to our work on campuses in 2024, here’s a button you definitely should push: