Drawing the Vote

How the history of American voting rights has shaped the way we vote today, the perfect primer for future voters—now in paperback!

An updated edition of Tommy Jenkin’s Drawing the Vote aimed at educating young readers.

Originally published in the lead-up to the 2020 US presidential election, Drawing the Vote: A Graphic Novel History for Future Voters looks at the history of voting rights in the United States, and how it has affected the way we vote today. Author and educator Tommy Jenkins was inspired by his students to trace this history from the earliest steps toward democracy during the American Revolution, to the upheaval caused by the Civil War, the fight for women’s suffrage, the civil rights movement, the election of an African American president, and beyond.

Along the way, Jenkins identifies events and trends that led to the unprecedented results of the 2016 presidential election that left many Americans wondering, "how did this happen?" At a time when many citizens are experiencing apathy about voting and skepticism concerning our bitterly divided political parties, Drawing the Vote seeks to offer some explanation for how we got here and how every American, young and old, can take action.

The expanded paperback edition features an additional 32 pages of comics that cover the results of the 2020 presidential election and the factors that shaped it, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the January 6 insurrection.