Don’t Mess with My Vote is an Unstoppable Voters Project – a series of Center for Artistic Activism supported works that celebrate voting rights and counter voter suppression.

Don’t Mess with My Vote

The simple “I Voted” sticker given at polling places has become a signifier of participation, but during this critical moment in American history, political messaging demands a greater set of meanings. The text “My Vote Won’t Bite, Unless You Mess With It” is a declaration that lives up to this historic election: I’m not asking you if I can vote, I’m TELLING you I will, no matter what you do to try to stop me. 

Concept and design by Avram Finkelsten

Avram Finkelstein is a founding member of the Silence=Death and Gran Fury collectives. He has work in the permanent collections of MoMA, The Whitney, The New Museum, and The Brooklyn Museum. He is featured in the artist oral history project at the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art, and his book for UC Press, After Silence: A History of AIDS Through its Images was nominated for an International Center Of Photography Infinity Award in Critical Writing And Research. He has been interviewed by The New York Times, Frieze, Artforum, and Interview, and spoken at Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and NYU. 

Photo by Alina Oswald 

Unstoppable Voter Projects Throughout the Country Will Bring Art and Entertainment to Voters and Polling Places; Artists Hope to Inspire Others in Their Own Communities

In this contentious election season, many people are wondering how we can move past division and tension to celebrate democracy and our freedom to vote. Artists, in the business of storytelling and culture-making, are working around the country to turn the focus to honoring and encouraging participation in our democratic process. With this in mind, the Center for Artistic Activism created the Unstoppable Voter Project. We funded 11 of the most ambitious, innovative collaborations between artists and civic organizations seeking to increase voter engagement after receiving more than 100 applications. Artistic events will take place nationwide, with a focus on states where voters are facing barriers to the polls.