“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The liberal differs from the conservative only in one way; the liberal is more deceitful, more hypocritical, than the conservative. Both want power, but the liberal is the one who has perfected the art of posing as the friend and benefactor.” ~ Malcolm X
Here are some interesting facts and histories about Election Day (that you may not know).
- You may be asking, why Tuesday and why November? In the late 1800s, most citizens worked as farmers. Many lived far from their polling place and often had to travel a day or two to vote. November was considered a good time for elections because the busy harvest season was coming to a close.
- Before 1845, the states could hold presidential elections within a 34-day period before the first Wednesday in November. This system was problematic and had some flaws. Communications and transportation had evolved, which influenced votes in different time zones.
- While George Washington was the first president elected into office, the first Election Day took place on November 7, 1848. Whig Party candidate Zachary Taylor won the election becoming the 12th president of the United States.
- Becoming popular in the time of the American Revolution, Election Day Cake consisted of yeasted fruit. While not as popular today, you can find recipes online to make your own.
Voting, a right, responsibility, or privilege?
… Astronauts are able to vote from space! Voting in space has been possible since 1997. Secure electronic ballots are uplinked by Johnson’s Mission Control Center to a voting crew member aboard the International Space Station. Astronauts are able to cast their vote and then their completed, encoded ballots are downlinked and delivered to the County Clerk’s office by email. Many astronauts choose to vote as Texas residents because Houston is where they complete their training.
… The editorial cartoonist Thomas Nast can be credited for creating the party symbols of the Republican and Democratic parties. Nast drew the famous elephant and donkey together as a political cartoon in Harper’s Weekly magazine in 1879. The creation of party symbols helped to dramatize political issues and helped to reach Americans who could not read.
… Gerald Ford is the only person who served as president and vice president without being elected to either office. His 895-day term in office is also the shortest in US history for any president who did not die in office. Ford was appointed as vice president by President Nixon in 1973 after Spiro Agnew resigned from the position. Less than a year later, Nixon resigned from the presidency after the Watergate scandal and Gerald Ford assumed the office.
… The first woman ran for president in 1872. Victoria Woodhull ran on a platform of women’s suffrage, regulation of monopolies, an eight-hour workday, and welfare for the poor. Her name only appeared on the ballot in some states and no one knows how many votes she received because they were apparently not counted.
… Voting is required by law in Australia. More than 90% of eligible voters turn up to vote on election day, (which is held on a Saturday). If you do not vote, you can be fined 20-79 Australian dollars. But, according to most locals, “In Australia it is like a party,” complete with community barbecues and “democracy sausages.”
A timeline …
February, 1870: The U.S. Congress passes and the states ratify the Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting African-American men the right to vote.
1890: Wyoming becomes the first state to grant women the right to vote, followed by Colorado in 1893.
October 23, 1915: 25,000 women marched in New York City demanding the right to vote.
August, 1920: The Nineteenth Amendment was adopted, granting women from every state the right to vote. It was nicknamed the “Anthony” amendment in recognition of the lobbying efforts of suffragette Susan B. Anthony. The amendment was adopted just in time for the 1920 presidential election.
March 29, 1961: Ratification of the 23rd amendment to the Constitution gave residents of Washington, D.C., the right to vote in presidential elections.
August, 1965: President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act to outlaw states’ discriminatory voting practices, especially in regards to those targeting African-Americans in the South.
July, 1971: The 26th Amendment reduced the voting age in the United States from 21 to 18 years of age. The first 18-year-olds voted in the 1972 elections.
March, 1993: The “motor-voter” bill was signed by President Bill Clinton, allowing citizens to register to vote when applying for a driver’s license and ease voter registration.
In the end, voting is one piece of the larger picture of civic engagement. True empowerment comes from sustained community participation. Each of us has a role to play in shaping a future that reflects our collective values.
As we look toward the next election cycle, we encourage everyone to use their voices, their influence, and their votes to advance equity and opportunity for all.
Did You Know? The highest voter turnout rate for a presidential race was in 1876, when 82.6 percent of eligible voters, (white and black men), cast ballots in the race between Republican Rutherford Hayes and Democrat Samuel Tilden. Despite the high turnout – black men had recently won the right to vote with the 15th Amendment – southern Democrats were actively suppressing that right.