10 printed and manuscript ballots, most approx. 3 x 10 in. (most with edge and corner wear, creasing, some with short tears). 

 

Includes: Medina County ballot for the Union Presidential Ticket of Abraham Lincoln for President and Andrew Johnson for Vice President. Vignette of Miss Columbia with sword marked “Union.”

 

[With:] 5 printed ballots for state officials “Clinton County Ohio Union Ticket!" with flag and slogan “Rally round the Flag, Boys.” -- Ballot for the Democratic State Ticket with flag on globe with slogan “Our Country.” -- 2 additional ballots from Clinton County, one printed and one handwritten. 

 

[Also with:] Handwritten ballot for the Democratic State Ticket, marked on verso “Defiance County, Adams Township, Ohio.”

 

On 13 April 1863, the Ohio Legislature authorized qualified Ohio voters, in actual Military Service, to vote by absentee ballot if they were away from their resident polling places on Election Day. Both political parties distributed ballots already printed with the name of the soldier's or sailor's resident county. Ballots were made available to soldiers who were required to sign a poll book but then simply placed their ballot in a box. In the critically important 1864 election Ohio strongly supported the Union (Republican) ticket and Lincoln's re-election.