The Art of Voting

Planning your vote for the United States Presidential Election 

November 3, 2020

Christie’s Corporate Social Responsibility team is committed to empowering every U.S. citizen to exercise their right to vote. We want to do our part this voting season by utilizing our digital space to provide illustrated voting instructions that ensure correct, straightforward and timely voting practices. Christie’s is excited to collaborate with five local artists to harness the power of visual art — presented alongside vital voter information — to empower citizens to VOTE✔ and to participate in deciding the future of our country. With a longtime flagship saleroom in the heart of New York City at Rockefeller Center, our aim is to create an online hub and resource to clarify the voting process for New York voters and to make sure that their voices are heard.


Remember: every vote counts.



Statistics



• The 2020 Election is likely to result in a record number of absentee ballots submitted by voters

• The 2016 General Election saw an estimated 334,000 absentee ballots rejected across the country. The 2020 Primaries alone saw 558,032 ballots rejected across 30 states

• New absentee voters are 2.75x more likely to have their ballot rejected, with younger voters more heavily impacted

• Biggest reasons for rejection:

1) Missed deadlines

2) Missing or incorrect signatures

by robynblair Robyn Blair Davidson (B. 1986, Potomac, MD.), VOTE. Signed and dated. Candy and Plexiglas. 20 x 28 in (50.8 x 71.1 cm.). Executed in 2020.
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To vote in New York you must...



• Be registered to vote

• Be a citizen of the United States

• Be a resident of the county, or of the City of New York, at least 30 days before an election

• Be 18 years old (you may pre-register at 16 or 17 but cannot vote until you are 18)

• Not be in jail or on parole for a felony conviction (unless parolee pardoned or restored rights of citizenship)

• Not currently be judged incompetent by order of a court of competent judicial authority

• Not claim the right to vote elsewhere

Jojo Anavim (B. 1985, New York), I Want YOU to Vote!. Signed, titled and dated ‘”VOTE!” Jojo Anavim, October 2020’ (on the reverse). Acrylic, oil, and collage on Canvas. 30 x 30 in. (76.2 x 76.2 cm.). Executed in 2020.
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In-person voting in NYC



• Look up the location of your early polling place in NYC:
Early Voting Sites >

• October 24 - November 2✔ - Go to your polling place to vote IN PERSON early

OR

 • Look up the location of your regular polling place in NYC:
Poll Site Search >

• November 3✔ - Go to your polling place to vote IN PERSON, polls will open at 6am and close at 9pm.

Theo MiGHTY (B. 1990, Queens, NY), No Room for the Panther. Signed and numbered. Print on Giclee paper. 12 x 12 in. (30.5 x 30.5 cm.). Conceived in 2016, printed in 2020. This work is from an edition of five.
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Absentee voting by mail for NYC residents



Download

Absentee Ballot Application


• During COVID-19, all voters are eligible to use the “temporary illness” excuse to apply for an absentee ballot due to concerns surrounding COVID-19.

• To request an absentee ballot in New York, submit a request online through the state portal.

• The application must include your original, non-digital signature if submitted by mail.

• New York does not have an absentee ballot tracking tool, but voters in New York City can use this tool to track their absentee ballots.

• If you are unable to sign your own name, your ballot must be witnessed. The witness must include their name and address with the ballot when you return it.

KESH (B. 1986, Los Angeles), CTRL. 40 x 40 in. (101.6 x 101.6 cm.). Fine art print. Executed in 2013. This work is unique.
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Absentee voting deadlines for NYC residents



• October 27✔ - Last day to apply online, by email, fax or to postmark a mailed application for an absentee ballot. (Please be warned that despite this deadline, the Post Office has advised they cannot guarantee timely delivery of ballots applied for less than 15 days before an election…SO MAIL YOUR BALLOT IN EARLY)

• October 24 - November 1✔ - You can drop off your ballot IN PERSON at any polling place in NYC during early voting.

• November 3, Election Day✔ - Last chance to drop off your ballot IN PERSON at any polling place by 9pm.

• November 3✔ - Return by mail: Last day to postmark ballot. Ballot must be received by local board of elections no later than November 10 (7 days after Election Day). 

Ryan Bock (B. 1989, San Francisco), A portrait of the artist voting. Signed with the artist’s initials (lower left in margin); dated (lower right in margin. Gouache and acrylic on paper. 17 x 12 in. (43.2 x 30.5 cm.). Painted in 2020.
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Mistakes to avoid for absentee ballots



• Not thoroughly reading the instructions

• Using anything other than a blue or black pen

• Filling out your ballot on a wet or uneven surface

• Forgetting to sign your envelope

• Using a different signature than what NY state has on file

• Incorrectly formatting the date (Use this format 10/13/2020 instead of 10/13/20)

• Not sending back the ballot envelope inside the outermost envelope

• Forgetting to add a stamp on the outermost envelope







Ryan Bock (B. 1989, San Francisco). Lamenting Liberty. Signed with the artist’s initials (lower left in margin); dated (lower right in margin). Gouache and acrylic on paper. 17 x 12 in. (43.2 x 30.5 cm.). Painted in 2020.
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