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Back in the 19th century, the secret ballot didn't happen until after 1874. Up until then, voters had to cast their votes in full view of political thugs and corporate goons who tracked whether you voted "correctly". The other side of that coin was than anyone with a pencil and a pad of paper could tally the votes as they were cast.
Other factors for consideration - women couldn't vote at all in the 19th century, Black men couldn't vote prior to the ratification of the 15th Amendment to the US Constitution in 1870 (and even then poll taxes and other voter qualification measures were used to deny Black suffrage), and presidential election voting occurred apart from congressional, state, and local elections.
It should also be noted that States had very different ideas on who should vote. This also changed within the States. Sometimes landowners could vote. Heads of Households could vote. White Males only could vote. Literate people only could vote.
Votes could be fairly wild affairs, especially for the city bosses in the big Eastern cities. Plus it took time to tally the vote.
Other factors for consideration - women couldn't vote at all in the 19th century, Black men couldn't vote prior to the ratification of the 15th Amendment to the US Constitution in 1870 (and even then poll taxes and other voter qualification measures were used to deny Black suffrage), and presidential election voting occurred apart from congressional, state, and local elections.
Yup, forgot about Wyoming. The Wyoming territory granted women the right to vote in 1869. But as it was a territory until 1890, no one there (man or woman) was casting votes in a presidential election or in a US House election until then.
Yup, forgot about Wyoming. The Wyoming territory granted women the right to vote in 1869. But as it was a territory until 1890, no one there (man or woman) was casting votes in a presidential election or in a US House election until then.
When I was a kid I was an avid World Book Encyclopedia reader. I read about it sometime in the mid-1960's.
When I was a kid I was an avid World Book Encyclopedia reader. I read about it sometime in the mid-1960's.
My first notice of that factoid wasn't as intellectually derived as yours...I believe it was mentioned on some time-period western TV show in the 1970's, where it was noted that one of the female characters retorted to a condescending male character that she was indeed politically knowledgeable and had in fact cast a ballot in the past in Wyoming Territory.
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