There’s a new show in town, and it’s a big, big deal! It’s called Voices and Votes: Democracy in America, and it’s a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit that’s been making its way around the country since 2020. It’s in Georgia now, and Putnam County, where I live, is the first of only a handful of locations in the state that will be hosting it. The exhibit never goes to major, big-city museums—only to rural and small-town locations.

It also includes a lot of moving parts. Museums, libraries, and other locations that host the exhibit are required to include other features, such as exhibits on local history, educational opportunities and activities for students, and partnerships with other organizations to bring it all about.

The main exhibit includes a number of interactive panels focusing on various aspects of democracy in America, such as the lead-up to the Revolutionary War, creation of the Constitution, and different methods of voting that have been used throughout the years. I’m not ashamed to say that some of the information in the exhibit was new to me. Or maybe it just got lost and buried in my brain somewhere between high school history class and now.

One of the panels in the exhibit features “The Star-Spangled Banner,” our national anthem, but you can also listen to other patriotic songs, such as “America the Beautiful” and “Stars and Stripes Forever.” These all brought back memories of my days in the marching band in grade school and high school. I always felt so proud to see people stand, with their hands over their hearts, as we marched by. To this day, I get a bit choked up at 4th of July parades whenever I see marching bands go by, playing those same patriotic songs.

The exhibit is open to everyone Wednesday through Saturday, while Mondays and Tuesdays are reserved for school field trips. As a docent, I’ve already worked at several of those, and I especially enjoy seeing the enthusiasm and curiosity—especially of young students—as they study the panels, asking and answering questions about the Bill of Rights, the history of voting, and how the donkey and elephant got to be symbols of the Democratic and Republican parties.

If you live—or are visiting—anywhere near Putnam County, Georgia, I strongly urge you to visit the exhibit, which is at the County Administration Building until May 31. And no matter where in the country you are, I hope you’ll google “Voices and Votes” and plan a visit when it’s anywhere near you. It will teach you, it will inspire you, and it will remind you of how precious democracy is. As we approach our country’s 250th birthday, I can’t think of a better time for that.

May 13, 2026
©Betty Liedtke, 2026

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