Ballot

(Paperback)

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Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.

Anjali Enjeti examines the psychological, cultural, and political significance of voting in the United States, tracing the history and evolution of ballots, from voice votes to single-party ballots, to punch cards, machines, and computers. She explores the reality of elections in a time where a significantly weakened Voting Rights Act, coupled with a right-leaning Supreme Court, have empowered Republican-led states in recent years to erect daunting barriers to voting through a deluge of anti-voting bills and racialized gerrymandering.

Armed with personal anecdotes as a poll worker, electoral organizer, and grassroots activist, Enjeti weaves a discussion of the history and stakes of ballot integrity within the dizzying and polarized climate of American politics today.

Author Bio

Anjali Enjeti is a journalist, voting rights advocate, campaign volunteer, and co-founder of the Georgia chapter of They See Blue, an organization for South Asian Democrats. She has written about elections for various publications, including the Los Angeles Times, Harper's Bazaar, Mic, Courier Newsroom, Longreads, Dame, and Zora. She is the author of the award-winning essay collection, Southbound: Essays on Identity, Inheritance, and Social Change (2021), and her debut novel, The Parted Earth published in 2021. She is a core faculty member in the MFA program at Reinhardt University, USA.