BY AMIRA TURNER
On an uncharacteristically warm Election Day, while millions of New Yorkers took to the polls to cast their votes, dozens of kids and their caregivers flocked to Manhattan’s Battery Park to participate in their very own mock election. The candidates? Pearl the Squirrel, Luz the Goose, Fin the Oyster Toadfish, and Pippin the Pigeon.
Election Day Art and Play is an annual free tradition put on by Battery Park City Authority, a public benefit corporation that oversees the 92-acres of lower Manhattan commercial, retail, residential and park space. At the event, kids were encouraged to participate in art projects and games while getting hands-on voting experience. Participants read short bios of four candidates for President of Battery Park City and then filled in ballots to cast their votes.
Battery Park City Authority outdoor educator Marieke Bender has participated in the event for four years, teaching kids about civic engagement. “The kids love the art projects anyway, but to see them really get into the election process, casting their vote and learning about the candidates, this is a cool way to get involved,” she said.
Gigi, a four-year-old first-time voter, proudly wore a “vote” badge, covered in rainbows that she crafted out of construction paper and crayons provided by the park. “I voted for a fish,” she shared, a candidate with a platform centered on clean and accessible drinking water. She expressed enthusiasm over being able to vote, like her grandparents, who brought her to the event as a distraction from the stress of the presidential election.
Eight-year-old Luna, who attended with her nanny, was inspired to vote in the Battery Park City election after watching her friend’s mother vote, which she shared was her favorite part of her day.
The event held as much significance to some adult attendees as it did to their child counterparts. Nath Jones, a volunteer with the group Pennsylvania Dems, came across the event while walking in the park. “You know, they’re reading the platforms, they’re considering their votes, and they’re very conscientious about what they’re doing,” she said. “It gives you hope for the future of our country, seeing so many young people involved.”
For many attendees, the event was a way to get out of the house and spend time in the park, on a day when many Americans experience increased stress levels. Jones hoped that an event like Election Day Art and Play “really does help with the peacemaking for the country to just have events like this that are for everybody.”
By 3:45 PM, all of the ballots were counted, and Pearl the Squirrel was declared to be the President of Battery Park City. She ran on a campaign that ensured access to playgrounds and parks for all New Yorkers. Battery Park City’s youth voters appeared happy with their choice, and motivated to participate in elections.