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Drawing the Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Voting in America
How the history of American voting rights has shaped the way we vote today
Coinciding with the 2020 US presidential election, 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. Throughout the book, the 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.
Coinciding with the 2020 US presidential election, 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. Throughout the book, the 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.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published April 21, 2020
21 people are currently reading
1903 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
August 8, 2020
A dense and ambitious graphic history that links a long legacy of racism and sexism to the long history of voter suppression, gerrymandering, the resistance to women's right to vote and many other related issues. The Voting Rights Act makes its way into the narrative, of course, but so does foreign interference, the early closing of polling places, "hanging chads" and The Supreme Court's interference in the Bush-Gore election and the long problem with the Electoral College as arbiter of our elections even though we are all encouraged to vote.
Jenkins is not trying to be "objective" as he makes it clear that the practices of the current administration have long roots in American history. The digital art from Kati Lacker is fine, serviceable, in this text for teens that adults might also find useful in this (long) election season. (And no, Trump can't delay the election to have on a day when is polling numbers are improved; that's [so far] still a constitutional issue).
P.S.: I am very glad that for the first time since early March, my library is open again, so let the reader beware, you can expect (even) more comics reviews again!
Jenkins is not trying to be "objective" as he makes it clear that the practices of the current administration have long roots in American history. The digital art from Kati Lacker is fine, serviceable, in this text for teens that adults might also find useful in this (long) election season. (And no, Trump can't delay the election to have on a day when is polling numbers are improved; that's [so far] still a constitutional issue).
P.S.: I am very glad that for the first time since early March, my library is open again, so let the reader beware, you can expect (even) more comics reviews again!
January 14, 2021
A good introductory overview of the history of voting in America, illustrating the troubled journey to granting voting rights to everyone and the ongoing struggle to overcome voter suppression, disenfranchisement, systemic racism, and a multitude of political dirty tricks and crimes. The author wears his liberal bias on his sleeve, so likeminded souls like me will nod along while those of the opposite bent are unlikely to be persuaded on their points of contention.
Simultaneous to reading this graphic novel, I'm in the midst of White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson which goes into much greater detail about the horrific mechanics of voter suppression in the eras of Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and beyond. I recommend you check it out if this book piques your interest in the subject.
Simultaneous to reading this graphic novel, I'm in the midst of White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson which goes into much greater detail about the horrific mechanics of voter suppression in the eras of Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and beyond. I recommend you check it out if this book piques your interest in the subject.
June 23, 2020
This is essentially fake news in the form of a comic book. The author has extensive references in the back of the book which I appreciate, but he makes a number of claims in the first few pages that I know are either incorrect or taken out of context in order to promote a certain point of view.
This is leftist Democrat propaganda. If you are a lefist Democrat then you will love this book, but I love reason, logic and objectivity, so I do not like this book. This book is nothing like objective.
I stopped reading after the introduction and the first few pages. It was entirely too biased.
That is not to say that there were not a few facts in it. It is just that ferreting out the few useful facts from the morass of misunderstanding and outright incorrect information was not worth the effort.
I probably will not revisit this book.
Note: Here are some of my original reactions to this book....
June 16, 2020:
"The Forward written by Martha S. Jones mischaracterizes the 3/5ths Compromise. She said that it increased the power of the slave states when, in fact, it DECREASED the power of slave states. That error suggests that this book is not deeply researched even though there are extensive references in the back of the book. But this is the Forward. Perhaps the author will do better. Bad start though."
June 16, 2020:
"In the Preface the author does OK, but then mentions President Trump's impeachment trial without mentioning that he was acquitted. Maybe the author didn't know yet how the trial would turn out, but if so, he should have said something more neutral, like "And however that turns out, it would be good to know more about that process, thus this book." But he didn't say that. He left it hanging as if Trump was guilty."
June 23, 2020:
"This comic book is unbelievable. It talks about the racist actions being implemented during the Obama Administration. While one can make that argument, one can also see it a different way, like making all people equal under the law. The only way that could be considered racist is if one believed that minorities were greater people. Then making them equal would be a step down. Make sense? Yeah. Me neither."
This is leftist Democrat propaganda. If you are a lefist Democrat then you will love this book, but I love reason, logic and objectivity, so I do not like this book. This book is nothing like objective.
I stopped reading after the introduction and the first few pages. It was entirely too biased.
That is not to say that there were not a few facts in it. It is just that ferreting out the few useful facts from the morass of misunderstanding and outright incorrect information was not worth the effort.
I probably will not revisit this book.
Note: Here are some of my original reactions to this book....
June 16, 2020:
"The Forward written by Martha S. Jones mischaracterizes the 3/5ths Compromise. She said that it increased the power of the slave states when, in fact, it DECREASED the power of slave states. That error suggests that this book is not deeply researched even though there are extensive references in the back of the book. But this is the Forward. Perhaps the author will do better. Bad start though."
June 16, 2020:
"In the Preface the author does OK, but then mentions President Trump's impeachment trial without mentioning that he was acquitted. Maybe the author didn't know yet how the trial would turn out, but if so, he should have said something more neutral, like "And however that turns out, it would be good to know more about that process, thus this book." But he didn't say that. He left it hanging as if Trump was guilty."
June 23, 2020:
"This comic book is unbelievable. It talks about the racist actions being implemented during the Obama Administration. While one can make that argument, one can also see it a different way, like making all people equal under the law. The only way that could be considered racist is if one believed that minorities were greater people. Then making them equal would be a step down. Make sense? Yeah. Me neither."
July 24, 2020
I really enjoyed this. I related hard to the discussion about the 2016 election (Bern bright my friends) and the disillusionment of the voter in this country.
It is easy to feel like your vote doesn't matter. But when you take a look back at what people have done to earn the right to vote, not just for themselves, but for you as well... It makes you take that responsibility a bit more seriously.
I vote in every election. Do I feel like my voice is always heard? No. But did I voice my opinion? Yes. I think at the end of the day, we can just keep striving for the best future we can imagine and vote for the person we think will carry our hopes and interests forward.
It is easy to feel like your vote doesn't matter. But when you take a look back at what people have done to earn the right to vote, not just for themselves, but for you as well... It makes you take that responsibility a bit more seriously.
I vote in every election. Do I feel like my voice is always heard? No. But did I voice my opinion? Yes. I think at the end of the day, we can just keep striving for the best future we can imagine and vote for the person we think will carry our hopes and interests forward.
November 4, 2020
Graphic novel about the history of voting in America from colonial times through current day.
August 1, 2020
I was hoping this would be a book I would share with my kiddos as a realistic view of voting throughout our country’s history. While my subjective point of view seems relatively similar to the author’s, this “young adult” graphic novel is far more one-sided and not nearly objective enough for something I want my children reading at this point. I can not recommend this graphic novel.
October 10, 2020
Completely biased and one sided. Pulled the best quotes from one side and the worst from the other. And I’m not just saying that because I disagree with the author’s option. He makes his story appear to be truth, when a book like this should present the facts in an unbiased/nonpartisan way. In my opinion.
February 25, 2021
This was an interesting read, but I felt like it was extremely subjective. This is a topic about which I always want to see all sides.
December 14, 2023
A light overview of the history of voting in the US, from the Revolution to the 2018 mid-terms. The simple illustration does little to amplify the history, but it does break up the text and adds color and feeling to what otherwise reads as a dry academic treatise.
It really doesn't have much to say beyond Your vote matters, look at how hard your forebears fought for it, don't take it for granted. But there is value in collecting those relevant pieces of American history, especially the bits that have been short shrifted in textbooks. Those who don't learn from history...
--------------------------------
Topics covered:
Articles of Confederation.--Originally the runner-up presidential candidate became VP, to disastrous effect, until the 12th Amendment passed in 1804. The Electoral College was created to keep "uneducated" citizens from voting directly, and electoral votes were artificially increased for slave states (recall the 3/5 Connecticut Compromise) to get the slave states' consent because unanimity was required. The Senate was also created explicitly to appease slave states.
Reconstruction led to an initial influx of black Congressmen in southern states. The South being the South, groups like the White League, the Red Shirts, and the Redeemers rose up to punish blacks who tried to vote. They were successful enough to barely tip the popular vote in Samuel Tilden's favor in 1876, but a bipartisan Election Commission handed the win to Rutherford B Hayes due to the brazen voter suppression. Hayes is believed to have cut a deal to end Reconstruction in return for the South not contesting his ascent. The federal government departed the South, state constitutions were re-written to legalize segregation, and a century of Jim Crow voter suppression began.
The "big tent" nature of the Democrat party--Postbellum immigration surged in the North. Various immigrant groups worked in factories owned by wealthy Republicans and tended to vote as a bloc. Hence they were recruited by powerful Democrat political machines such as Tammany Hall. The Democrat party thus found itself comprised of numerous disparate factions.
Suffrage--Women's suffrage and black suffrage made for an obvious alliance but the partnership was messy. The 15th Amendment (granting men of all races the right to vote) passed in 1870; fully 50 years would go by before women received the same right in the 19th Amendment. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony broke with black women leaders like Sojourner Truth and Ida B. Wells over whether to support the 15th Amendment. Note: In New Jersey, women could vote up until 1807, when the state legislature stripped them of that right.
Jim Crow. Segregation. "Separate but Equal." Subjective literacy tests. Poll taxes. The "grandfathering in" of (white people) those whose grandfathers had voted before a certain date; they were exempted from tests and taxes. The effects of these voter suppression laws were marked: despite being about 1/3 black, Confederate states sent zero black representatives to Congress from 1901 to the '70s. Voter suppression laws work.
"White primaries"--Because parties control their own primaries, the southern Democrats didn't have to hide behind literacy tests, poll taxes, or voter ID laws to exclude black candidates...they simply had a no-blacks rule.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 enacted tremendous protections to black voting rights in Confederate states. And the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965, to immense effect: in Mississippi, black turnout was 6% in '64 and 59% in '68. The Voting Rights Act worked.
"Election integrity" laws rose up under Bush II as a strategy to disproportionately suppress Democrat voters. The 2013 Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court decision gutted the Voting Rights Act, and a surge of voter suppression laws immediately followed in red states across the South.
Recent elections--The last chapter lightly reviews the 2016 and '18 elections, the interference by Russia and embrace of same by half the country, the accusations of DNC interference in Bernie Sanders's candidacy, and the brazenly baseless claims of voter fraud saturating the right.
The last really positive step for American democracy occurred almost sixty years ago followed by decades of erosion, but Drawing the Vote still manages to strike a hopeful tone in closing. Americans beat seemingly insurmountable odds before; they have the capability to do so again. (I'm more skeptical but one can dream.)
It really doesn't have much to say beyond Your vote matters, look at how hard your forebears fought for it, don't take it for granted. But there is value in collecting those relevant pieces of American history, especially the bits that have been short shrifted in textbooks. Those who don't learn from history...
--------------------------------
Topics covered:
Articles of Confederation.--Originally the runner-up presidential candidate became VP, to disastrous effect, until the 12th Amendment passed in 1804. The Electoral College was created to keep "uneducated" citizens from voting directly, and electoral votes were artificially increased for slave states (recall the 3/5 Connecticut Compromise) to get the slave states' consent because unanimity was required. The Senate was also created explicitly to appease slave states.
Reconstruction led to an initial influx of black Congressmen in southern states. The South being the South, groups like the White League, the Red Shirts, and the Redeemers rose up to punish blacks who tried to vote. They were successful enough to barely tip the popular vote in Samuel Tilden's favor in 1876, but a bipartisan Election Commission handed the win to Rutherford B Hayes due to the brazen voter suppression. Hayes is believed to have cut a deal to end Reconstruction in return for the South not contesting his ascent. The federal government departed the South, state constitutions were re-written to legalize segregation, and a century of Jim Crow voter suppression began.
The "big tent" nature of the Democrat party--Postbellum immigration surged in the North. Various immigrant groups worked in factories owned by wealthy Republicans and tended to vote as a bloc. Hence they were recruited by powerful Democrat political machines such as Tammany Hall. The Democrat party thus found itself comprised of numerous disparate factions.
Suffrage--Women's suffrage and black suffrage made for an obvious alliance but the partnership was messy. The 15th Amendment (granting men of all races the right to vote) passed in 1870; fully 50 years would go by before women received the same right in the 19th Amendment. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony broke with black women leaders like Sojourner Truth and Ida B. Wells over whether to support the 15th Amendment. Note: In New Jersey, women could vote up until 1807, when the state legislature stripped them of that right.
Jim Crow. Segregation. "Separate but Equal." Subjective literacy tests. Poll taxes. The "grandfathering in" of (white people) those whose grandfathers had voted before a certain date; they were exempted from tests and taxes. The effects of these voter suppression laws were marked: despite being about 1/3 black, Confederate states sent zero black representatives to Congress from 1901 to the '70s. Voter suppression laws work.
"White primaries"--Because parties control their own primaries, the southern Democrats didn't have to hide behind literacy tests, poll taxes, or voter ID laws to exclude black candidates...they simply had a no-blacks rule.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 enacted tremendous protections to black voting rights in Confederate states. And the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965, to immense effect: in Mississippi, black turnout was 6% in '64 and 59% in '68. The Voting Rights Act worked.
"Election integrity" laws rose up under Bush II as a strategy to disproportionately suppress Democrat voters. The 2013 Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court decision gutted the Voting Rights Act, and a surge of voter suppression laws immediately followed in red states across the South.
Recent elections--The last chapter lightly reviews the 2016 and '18 elections, the interference by Russia and embrace of same by half the country, the accusations of DNC interference in Bernie Sanders's candidacy, and the brazenly baseless claims of voter fraud saturating the right.
The last really positive step for American democracy occurred almost sixty years ago followed by decades of erosion, but Drawing the Vote still manages to strike a hopeful tone in closing. Americans beat seemingly insurmountable odds before; they have the capability to do so again. (I'm more skeptical but one can dream.)
May 21, 2020
I thought, maybe, this might be a book without any political leanings. WRONG.
It is EXTREMELY apparent that the author is a Liberal. He spouts the normal left wing agenda "all conservatives are racists" throughout the entire book. It's sad, really.
Extremely disappointed.
It is EXTREMELY apparent that the author is a Liberal. He spouts the normal left wing agenda "all conservatives are racists" throughout the entire book. It's sad, really.
Extremely disappointed.
June 22, 2022
Way too one-sided and not objective imo. I don’t recommend it.
July 11, 2022
This book had so much potential. Unfortunately it ended up being a one sided piece of propaganda. The publisher should be ashamed of themselves.
April 29, 2021
The book would be better without the other discussing his own political leanings, but this otherwise a good graphic overview of the history of voting rights (and attempts to undermine them) in the United States.
October 12, 2024
With the presidential election coming up, I thought it was a good idea to give this book read. I appreciated so much what this author was doing with this graphic novel. Although I am already planning on voting, I think he really did a good job fostering an understanding of why voting is so important and that my vote matters!
December 29, 2019
(This review is of an Advance Reader Copy received at NYCC, and did not contain the Forward, Preface, or Timeline listed in the Table of Contents. It also states the final version will have color illustrations, while mine were in black and white. As such, my commentary is based on the main body of text.)
This book makes it immediately clear that it presents the history of voting as an attempt to answer the question "how can we look at history in a way that provides an explanation for the results of the 2016 presidential election?" and encourage non-voters to go to the ballot box in 2020 and beyond. Those seeking such an explanation should be pleased, while people on the other side of the spectrum will likely take issue with the (potentially changed by publication, as this is an ARC) text on the back cover that says, "...the 2016 presidential election that left Americans wondering, "how did this happen?"", because what happened was what they wanted and they might not even open the book.
I was thankful that there were end notes citing his sources since the book is quote heavy - though I do wish they were better indicated in the main panels. I only found them because I flipped through the back pages to see why there were so many pages after the end of the main text.
This book makes it immediately clear that it presents the history of voting as an attempt to answer the question "how can we look at history in a way that provides an explanation for the results of the 2016 presidential election?" and encourage non-voters to go to the ballot box in 2020 and beyond. Those seeking such an explanation should be pleased, while people on the other side of the spectrum will likely take issue with the (potentially changed by publication, as this is an ARC) text on the back cover that says, "...the 2016 presidential election that left Americans wondering, "how did this happen?"", because what happened was what they wanted and they might not even open the book.
I was thankful that there were end notes citing his sources since the book is quote heavy - though I do wish they were better indicated in the main panels. I only found them because I flipped through the back pages to see why there were so many pages after the end of the main text.
March 13, 2022
Meant to be hopeful and optimistic, but comes off too cynical and tired. I liked the premise more than the execution, though I thought it was worth sharing with the 12-year-old, who liked it. Does a good job explaining the history clearly without oversimplifying, engrossingly without trivializing. IMO, it's too heavy on current events, wrong about the 2016 election (e.g., overstates the number of Bernie Bros who voted for Trump), and confusing when explaining gerrymandering.
CW: Quotes Trump (includes the "s---hole countries" comment without censoring it, paraphrases the sexist remarks, alludes to the "grab 'em" comment when discussing the Women's March). Has illustrations of police beatings, KKK voter intimidation, and lynchings, though without showing facial expressions or details, so it's not as horrifying.
CW: Quotes Trump (includes the "s---hole countries" comment without censoring it, paraphrases the sexist remarks, alludes to the "grab 'em" comment when discussing the Women's March). Has illustrations of police beatings, KKK voter intimidation, and lynchings, though without showing facial expressions or details, so it's not as horrifying.
July 9, 2020
A fine civics lesson, if a little partisan for wide appeal.
June 8, 2021
Four stars because it's an easy-reading history of the struggle to vote in America that would be broadly enjoyable and illuminating to readers. Simple, engaging pictures; quick hit sound-bites to drive home history. Drawing the Vote is well worth reading.
But! It's so very, very focused on our current electoral climate that I worry it'll be basically unreadable in five years. The author opens and closes the book with Trump's unlikely presidential victory - and uses it as an example of how a lack of voting interest has caused, um, the wrong people to get elected. Well, Republicans.
I guess that's my other issue with Drawing the Vote: the villain is the right-leaning white male, and it's not even remotely suggested otherwise. To be clear: I agree - white men across history have generally made things worse for non-white-men. But any centrist or right-leaning readers will probably be turned off by the author's politics. I was fine with it as a filthy lefty (leftie?) myself, but the liberal slant is aggressively hammered home. I might have preferred Fault Lines in the Constitution's somewhat more balanced portrayal of the struggle to vote in America. (Balanced in that both sides have historically taken advantage of loopholes, even if one side does it in a far more egregious manner, and that our laws are eminently fallible.)
But! It's so very, very focused on our current electoral climate that I worry it'll be basically unreadable in five years. The author opens and closes the book with Trump's unlikely presidential victory - and uses it as an example of how a lack of voting interest has caused, um, the wrong people to get elected. Well, Republicans.
I guess that's my other issue with Drawing the Vote: the villain is the right-leaning white male, and it's not even remotely suggested otherwise. To be clear: I agree - white men across history have generally made things worse for non-white-men. But any centrist or right-leaning readers will probably be turned off by the author's politics. I was fine with it as a filthy lefty (leftie?) myself, but the liberal slant is aggressively hammered home. I might have preferred Fault Lines in the Constitution's somewhat more balanced portrayal of the struggle to vote in America. (Balanced in that both sides have historically taken advantage of loopholes, even if one side does it in a far more egregious manner, and that our laws are eminently fallible.)
June 14, 2020
I kept checking to see if this graphic novel was directed at children. I don't believe it was, it was just very dumbed down with silly things added to the illustrations like "stay over there, losers" when talking about segregation. The book likely tried to cover too much as it really brushed over a lot of topics and nothing hit home. May have also led to it feeling like something you'd see in children's history books. Briefly mention something and then quickly move on. I didn't find the art style appealing at all which furthered this book into the "boring" category. Everything was very simple, but that didn't even lead to additional detail. Basic drawings were reused and where the illustrations could have added context to support the text, it added nothing. For example, the note about Obama winning his first election, illustrated by him in front of a group of white men. No Hillary. And the purpose of this illustration?
Boring book. Didn't really learn anything new. Needed to either step up the content and detail for adults or cut some content to keep children's interest. If you really want a deep dive into voting in the last century, I recommend Give Us the Ballot by Ari Berman.
Boring book. Didn't really learn anything new. Needed to either step up the content and detail for adults or cut some content to keep children's interest. If you really want a deep dive into voting in the last century, I recommend Give Us the Ballot by Ari Berman.
May 27, 2021
Well, this took me on quite a ride. It was nice to have the history of voting distilled into one volume, but the author aimed for more breadth than depth. (ie: Native folks didn’t earn the right to vote until 1965, enduring much of the same barriers as African Americans…and no mention of Asian Americans, Latinx folks, disabled folks, etc)
As someone who was torn between Sandwrs and Clinton, I do remember voting for her due to realising the direction the nomination would go (not cool, past me!). The discussion of the DNC and the party systems were the best part of the narrative for me.
As someone who was torn between Sandwrs and Clinton, I do remember voting for her due to realising the direction the nomination would go (not cool, past me!). The discussion of the DNC and the party systems were the best part of the narrative for me.
June 13, 2020
This book should be read by every middle school and high school age student in this country. This book should be required reading for every citizen of this nation. It is clear, concise and presented in a simple down to earth no-nonsense way that make sit readily accessible. This is a book that has been desperately needed for decades.
October 27, 2020
Interesting and informative...I learned a lot about the history of voting and the challenges women and African Americans faced to obtain voting rights. I hadn't been aware of the very early controversies with popular vs. electoral votes. (The first time that happened was in 1824.) The book emphasizes the importance of voting as a means of getting one's voice heard.
August 30, 2020
It's beautifully drawn, and presents some good information. However, there are surprising omissions. Overall, it is confusingly organized, even to the point of rehashing the same events at different points.
March 22, 2024
This books provides the motives of why politics is a game of strategy. It's not for the weak ones. I loved that it included things like gerrymandering and the background of how immigrants were used to get votes.
November 4, 2024
I think this is a very useful graphic novel that gives a basic overview of various pieces of voting legislation and the history behind them. It’s current as of 2020. I’d recommended it maybe 9th grade and up.
August 7, 2020
Please buy this
And give it to all the young people you know. It's jam packed full of excellent historical fact and strongly makes the point that every vote counts.
And give it to all the young people you know. It's jam packed full of excellent historical fact and strongly makes the point that every vote counts.
Read
September 24, 2020Intriguing and interesting!
However, I'm not sure where I stand when it comes to how much I actually enjoyed it,,
However, I'm not sure where I stand when it comes to how much I actually enjoyed it,,
October 24, 2020
3.5 stars.
November 13, 2022
Great explanations, should be required reading before eighteen so you can understand the importance of the vote.
February 21, 2024
Drawing the Vote does such a great job of explaining the history of voting in the United States, as well as explaining the importance. A great book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews