WASHINGTON, DC.- The Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street (MoMS) will present “Voices and Votes: Exploring Democracy Across America” in the Arts and Industries Building Tuesday, June 16, through Monday, Sept. 7. The exhibition examines the 250-year-old American experiment in government “of, by and for the people” and how each generation has sought to build “a more perfect union.”
“Voices and Votes” explores the ongoing work of democracy, from the American Revolution and the suffrage movement to civil rights and modern voting. The exhibition features sections on the origins of U.S. democracy, the struggle for voting rights, campaigning and elections, civic participation and the responsibilities of citizenship. It includes historical and contemporary photographs, video, multimedia interactives and artifacts such as campaign materials, voter memorabilia and protest items.
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This presentation is a special edition of a MoMS traveling exhibition, “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America,” which has been hosted by small-town museums, libraries and cultural organizations since March 2020. By the end of 2026, it will have reached 154 communities in 25 states, serving as a community hub for conversations about democracy, the freedoms and responsibilities of citizens, participation in government and more.
MoMS is a program of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service | Smithsonian Affiliations (SITES | Affiliations), the national engagement arm of the Smithsonian. With the support and guidance of state partners, host communities developed companion exhibits, programs and educational initiatives exploring local history and civic engagement. The exhibition in the Arts and Industries Building highlights some of these activities and voices from people across the country through short films and an interactive map.
Public programs will be offered throughout the summer, including a special one-day Family Day celebration Saturday, July 25, featuring music and dance performances and historical reenactors. Program information will be available on si.edu/250.
“Voices and Votes” is based on the exhibition “American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith” at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. This project received funding from the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: 25,” a Smithsonian-wide initiative supported by private philanthropy and created to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary and advance the Smithsonian vision for the next 250 years.
