I love the idea of having vendors and caterers! It's like having a mini food fair.

For example -for a competition i considered places like bus-stands, hospitals, airports etc where one tends to wait. In order to make it fun and distract people from continuous wait/stress -i designed /proposed TALE TILES -basically a reflective surface tile ( modular) in which people can see themselves in different distortions and enjoy and engage/ tease there fellow beings etc and have a good laugh over themselves ( the competition was under the theme 'ACTION OBJECTS - when you look at an object what action do you do intuitively, the proposed tiles explored the reflection property of steel and we all enjoy a quick glance in the mirror if the time and place permits ; P)

Yes! That makes me think of mirrors near elevators. I remember hearing that buildings install mirrors next to elevators because it makes the wait more bearable. Interesting thoughts Mamta!

Agreed, love how you reframed through this concept Ashley.

It'd be great to have elections where you can vote at the pace that's right for you, feel supported by friendly helpers in making your civic contribution, and the before/after-vote period is a time of fun & celebration!

Love the build on so many inspirations to celebrate voting and foster community around the process. The concierge idea is also a great one---possibly playful and fun customer service along the lines of Southwest Air? At a basic level, voting locations could provide refreshments donated by local community businesses. Ideal entertainment would be a celebration of democracy, promoting civic pride in a party and issue-neutral manner, preferably in a graphic or interactive medium. I think of a live feed ticker or image depicting the number of votes cast and where (locally and nationally), or a dynamic flow of voting stories or ideas represented in an engaging way, a la Ink Factory http://inkfactorystudio.com/.

Oooh Catherine I'm loving where you're heading with this! Maybe we'll see some new concepts from you that build upon mine? :)

What about access to iPads, laptops or work stations where one could feel better about stepping out of the office to take the time to vote that way they wont feel so rushed in the first place.

Providing food and refreshments is an excellent way to motivate people to come down to the voting stations. Also, bringing a wholesome festive atmosphere to the voting stations would be amazing- like music, magic shows, etc... Lets CELEBRATE voting!

I like the idea of having the tiles, but what about centering them around national pride. In several governmental offices, there are paintings and art installations that are specifically associated with national pride and the feeling of being a citizen. While this might require work that would be better spent in a more functional way, such as manning the voting booths, I believe that it could work. Make voting day and the days preceding nationalistic in nature. It is the utmost expression of citizenship to be involved in government and unfortunately a lot of people have lost that feeling. If we could reshape the perception of voting from something you need to do to something you want to do, I think this could rapidly change the voter involvement. In the days preceding, student artists from each area could submit art work, poetry, art installations to each voting station to be put on display to entertain and encourage those that are waiting to vote. If the voters see that there are students, most of which can't vote, that think so highly of voting as to visually represent it, they will spend more time weighing their options and being deliberate about their decisions, putting nervousness to the side and truly becoming more involved in the voting experience.

Thanks Mark! I like to think that if I can draw something, anyone can :)

I suppose you can never start too young! :)