On Friday evening, officials held an opening reception and cut the ribbon on “Voices & Votes: Democracy in America” at the Museums at Union Station. The exhibit is a part of Museum on Main Street — a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and Utah Humanities.

During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Utah Humanities Program Director Megan Van Frank said, “The Voices and Votes exhibition traces the bold American experiment of a government run by and for the people. We brought this tour to Utah. It was the core of our America 250 programming, and it has traveled the state.”

She said that, prior to opening in Ogden on Friday, the exhibit has also been presented in West Valley City, Moab and Vernal.

“Teams from all of these communities have been working hard on their local projects since last year,” she said. “It’s not just bring the exhibition and park it and call it a day. There’s been a lot of work that’s been going on. They’ve been creating their own companion exhibits and public programs that show how Utah’s people, places, and stories connect with American democracy. If you go to any stop in the state, your experience there will be different. These local teams have been aided and abetted by several colleagues brought together by Utah Humanities.”

Rob Nielsen, Standard-Examiner

The Ogden stop is no different with a portion of the exhibit being dubbed “Our City, Our Voice: Civic Engagement in Ogden.” This part of the exhibition includes paraphernalia and stories from local elections past including everything from old election pamphlets to a voting booth used in Weber County during the 1960 election cycle.

During the opening ceremonies, Museums at Union Station Administrator Hope Eggett said that the timing is perfect with major milestones being set for the city and the country.

“Our local companion exhibit is called, ‘Our City, Our Voice: Civic Engagement in Ogden, and it tells the story of how citizens have shaped the future of our city through so many different ways over the last 175 years,” she said. “One thing that makes the Voices and Votes run so special to us in 2026 is we’re not only honoring America’s 250th, we’re also honoring Ogden’s 175th anniversary of its incorporation, so it was beautiful to reflect on the legacy of how people have engaged with our city for the last 175 years.”

Eggett told the Standard-Examiner that this is the second time a Museum on Main Street exhibition has been displayed at the Museums at Union Station with the last exhibition taking place in 2017.

She said it’s especially topical since the country has the midterm election on its mind.

Rob Nielsen, Standard-Examiner

“It’s wonderful that we have the exhibit running from today all the way to the end of the year,” She said. “And we are lucky enough to have it over the midterm elections too — a season that everybody’s already thinking about voting and democracy. The exhibit reflects on how people have used their voices and how they’ve civically engaged in the various ways that it’s done that as well. It’s a great time to be talking about it.”

Several events are planned as part of the exhibition over the coming months, including:

• A tour of the Weber Election Office at the Weber Center on Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• Presentation: Indigenous Roots: Restoring the Bear River’s Ecosystem at the Museums at Union Station on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 7-8:30 p.m.
• Presentation: Who Voted in Ogden? at the Museums at Union Station on Tuesday, Dec. 10, from 7-8:30 p.m.
• Democracy Art Day: Action Badges & Postcards with the Utah Museum of Fine Arts at the Museums at Union Station on Friday, Dec. 30, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

“Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” will be exhibited at the Museums at Union Station through Dec. 30, 2026.

For more information on “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” events, visit https://utahhumanities.org/programs/community-heritage/museum-on-main-street/voices-votes-democracy-in-america.

Officials cut the ribbon on the "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America" exhibition at the Museums at Union Station on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026.

Utah Humanities Program Director Megan Van Frank introduces the "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America" exhibition at the Museums at Union Station on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026.

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