The 2020 U.S. presidential election is less than two months away. And with the coronavirus pandemic continuing into the fall, voters will not only have to choose between incumbent Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden. They will also have to choose between voting in person or by mail—and if they vote in person, how to best stay safe.
One group of artists has created a product to promote high voter turnout and reduce the spread of Covid-19, both in general and at the polling booths. Photographer Liz Linder teamed up with Aaron Belyea, founder of branding studio Alphabet Arm, and other artists to create The Vote Mask.
It carries a straightforward message: VOTE.
“I found myself drawn to amplifying people’s voices during a time when mouths are covered by masks,” said Linder, a graduate of Haverford College.
The startup sells face masks that include filter pockets, adjustable ear loops and a nose guard. The mask has a polyester shell with cotton backing. Each one costs $20.20, a nod to the election year, and The Vote Mask donates 20 percent of all profits to organizations that support voter rights and education like the American Civil Liberties Union, Black Voters Matter and the League of Women Voters.
The “mask with a mission” is available in five different designs. The company began shipping its first orders out earlier this month.
The Vote Mask was created to satisfy two goals: "protect your health” and “protect democracy," Linder said.
According to a June analysis commissioned by the World Health Organization, wearing a face mask reduces the transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2, the scientific name for the novel coronavirus, significantly. When it comes to protecting democracy, Linder said, that's where the donations component comes in.
"We are raising money for organizations promoting high voter turnout and protecting voter rights, and reminding people to vote and participate in democracy every time they see or wear one of our masks," Linder said.
At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Linder was working on another project entitled “At Work In a Pandemic,” which chronicled Boston’s response to Covid-19 in a series of photographs. She recalled having conversations about how disengaged the voting-eligible population had become: Less than 60 percent of Americans who were eligible to vote in the 2016 presidential election actually did.
For Linder, the mask is a walking PSA. Vote, protect your fellow Americans and keep up the health of American democracy.
“I was so moved by the uncertainty and fear, as well as the steadfastness and commitment to each other [that I] witnessed in my immediate community,” she said. “Our immediate goal is to engage the public and encourage them to vote... We want to amplify the work of organizations supporting voter rights and registration, this year and beyond. We also want to make it easy and engaging for anyone to wear a mask in public and make a statement.”
Emma Campbell is a contributing writer for BostInno.
