1864 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Election Soldier's Ballot

Presented is an original soldier’s ballot for the 1864 American presidential election. The ballot is from Binton County, Ohio. The paper ticket is printed with an allegorical representation of “Liberty,” holding an American flag and a sword labeled “Union.” The candidates are displayed as “For President, Abraham Lincoln of Illinois” and “For Vice President, Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee.” The names of the state’s 21 electors are listed below.  During the Civil War, the debate surrounding soldier absentee voting arose as the sheer number of soldiers and sailors stationed away from their home voting districts increased. While similar absentee voting precedents dated to the War of 1812 and New Jersey in 1815, there were no formal state laws or provisions in place for absentee voting. Only a few states, like Missouri, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, were able to pass acts granting absentee voting for soldiers in time for the 1862 midterm elections.  The issue gained more urgency in the summer of