The 2020 general election was accompanied by a wave of targeted laws and voter suppression tactics. While shocking to many, this was not a new occurrence, particularly for minority and lower-income communities. And in a time when these same communities were bearing the brunt of the global coronavirus pandemic, new hindrances to the voting process appeared as nothing less than brazen attempts to silence marginalized voices.

In response, grassroots efforts quickly sprung up in cities across the country, organizing volunteers and campaigns to keep voters engaged and informed. We had the privilege of working with Danielle Lehman on her Curbside Notary campaign in the effort to make mail-in voting easy and accessible for Kansas City voters.

This short film we created shares the story of Curbside Notary, and tells the story of the VOTE booths our shop fabricated that became an icon of the campaign. We’re proud to share that the film – ‘Two Pieces of Plywood’ – has advanced to public voting for the People’s Choice Award in the annual AIA Film Challenge. Voting is open to the public through October 3^rd – head to https://aiafilmchallenge.org/2021-aia-film-challenge/ to cast your vote!