”They are asking me for their animals, so I’ve painted sloths, armadillos, and lots of lizards,” Collins said. For this election season, Collins has created over 300 hundred vote signs.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Vote signs are going up all around Nashville as the general election approaches. In fact, one local artist is putting his own spin on how to encourage people to head to the polls.
“This was an experiment that grew,” said Paul Collins, artist and Austin Peay State University professor.
In 2018, Pew Research reported an election turnout of 49% of eligible voters. By the start of the 2020 presidential campaign, Collins wanted to improve that number.
“I’m embarrassed by the rate at which we vote,” Collins expressed.
He said the numbers led him to encourage his neighbors to vote by creating one sign daily for 100 days leading up to the election and putting them around town.
Collins told News 2 he starts by taking an odd-shaped piece of wood, crafting it into an animal, and painting the message “vote” on the animal.
Soon, neighbors wanted a sign for their yards.
“I think finger-wagging doesn’t do anything in terms of motivating people, but maybe silly animals and inserting some joy, and maybe even absurdity, could do the trick,” Collins said.
The 2020 presidential election turnout was 66%, which was the highest rate for any national election since 1900.
Collins hopes that number only increases. “People just asked me this and said, ‘Hey, is there an election coming up, are you making signs?” He explained. “I don’t know that I have ever said no.”
“They are asking me for their animals, so I’ve painted sloths, armadillos, and lots of lizards,” he said.
For this election season, Collins has created over 300 hundred vote signs.
He said if you are unsure how to vote, talking with the people you trust can help you better understand.
“My dad and I do not agree on politics whatsoever, and we talk about it all the time,” Collins told News 2. “You know, I think it’s just really important to connect with those around you who you would trust on any other issue about your life. So, I think that it’s great if reading policy online is not your thing. That’s where I would start, friends and family.”
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“Engagement is going to create solutions, and so that’s, I think, the important part of doing it of voting and expressing yourself, even if your side loses,” he added.
With the deadline to register to vote in Tennessee on Monday, he hopes people hear his central message.
“Well, I hope they vote; that’s number one,” Collins concluded.
You can request a free vote sign before November 5th by directly messaging Collins on Instagram.