This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Museum on Main Street program at the Smithsonian Institution and its "Stories from Main Street" initiative. The project is intended to capture Americans' impressions and stories about their small-town and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, and thoughts about American democracy. This story is from a group of narratives inspired by the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America."
Alex (00:00): So, what democracy means to me is just having the ability to have a say in what goes on your community. And so I believe that it is always important to voice your own opinions. Whether or not someone listens, that's on them, that's no longer on you. But as long as you do your parts, you voice your concerns, then I believe that that is what democracy is. Now on the other half, the other person should listen. They might not change their mind, but that listening is still a part of the democracy as well.
(00:31): So I do believe that my vote matters, especially being within my age group. And so I think that young voters definitely have a higher chance of actually pushing through what they believe in, as long as they show up. And so, which can be hard for a lot of people to get out there, especially if they lack transportation. But you can always choose to just do a mail-in ballot, have the voting come to you, and then it's just as easy. You don't need to go anywhere.
Asset ID: 2022.34.16.b
