you make a character walk. we put it in a video game. you race to the polls.
Animation. History. Democracy.
Walk Cycle to the Polls transforms the act of voting into a joyful, creative public event. First, participants learn to create and animate their own characters. Then they race those characters in a video game to a virtual polling booth. Finally, they cast their real-world ballots and celebrate the democratic process.
Create Your Character
Learn the fundamentals of a walk cycle animation and, in as few as 1 drawing and as many as 8, bring your character to life.
Enter the Tournament
Submit your character to the Walk Cycle to the Polls video game and race against other community members at early voting sites and public events.
Cast Your Ballot
After racing your avatar to the virtual polls, head to the physical polls and make your voice heard. Art and civic action, together.
More Participants. More Characters. More Accessible. More Voting.
For the 2026 midterm elections, the project expands from a single classroom into a university-wide and community-facing initiative — with public workshops, a visit from legendary animator James Baxter, and tournaments at early voting sites across Ann Arbor.
Get Updates from Walk Cycle to the Polls
Workshop dates, tournament info, and project news — straight to your inbox.
Sign Up for Updates →How Do I Participate?
There’s more than one way in — pick the path that fits you.
Join a free in-person session, or use the online tool any time to sketch a 1–8 frame walk cycle.
Send your walk cycle into the game so it becomes a playable avatar.
Watch your character compete at an early voting site or public event.
No drawing required — stop by a tournament near you.
Jump into the fun and get energized for the polls.
What Would You Like to Do?
History of Walking
Get inspired by the long history of walking as a civic and political act, from suffragette marches to Selma.
Make a Walk Cycle
Use our online tool to draw your own 1-, 2-, 4- or 8-frame walk cycle and submit it to the game.
Register to Vote
Find out how to register to vote, check your registration, and find your polling place.