This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Museum on Main Street program at the Smithsonian Institution and its "Stories from Main Street" initiative. The project is intended to capture Americans' impressions and stories about their small-town and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, and thoughts about American democracy. This story is from a group of narratives inspired by the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America."

Kim Barton: My name is Kim Barton. I'm the supervisor of elections for Alachua County and I live in Gainesville, Florida. My memory of a great voting experience, I met a gentleman who had never voted ever in his entire life. This black man was 85 years old. He told me he was ashamed and he didn't want anyone to know that he had not ever voted.

(00:24) And I told him, "Don't worry about it." Let's get him registered to vote, and we were going to make sure that he was set and ready to be able to vote in the upcoming election. Well, he was able to vote for the very first time at the age of 85 in the 2008 presidential election. I recall the tears in his eyes, the pride that he had having voted in that election. So, it's never too late. The importance of voting, it's never too late, regardless of your age.

Asset ID: 2022.38.02.b