Did you know? Election edition

During the “Bleeding Kansas” election in 1855, over 5,000 so-called “Border Ruffians” entered Kansas to sway the election in order to force pro-slavery legislation. Even though the number of votes cast was more than the number of eligible voters in the territory, the governor approved the election.

In the 1872 United States election, President Grant ran against a dead man. His opponent, Horace Greeley, died during the election process.

Up until 2012, it was illegal in South Carolina to buy alcohol on Election Day.

George Washington spent his entire campaign budget of 50 pounds on 160 gallons of liquor to serve to potential voters.

In 1997, Texas passed a law that allowed American astronauts in space to electronically cast their ballots in federal elections. In that same year, David Wolf cast the first-ever space vote while aboard the Russian Space Station Mir.

Secret ballots became commonly used in America in the 1890’s.

In 16 U.S. states, it is illegal to take a photo with your ballot. Doing so can result in a fine of even jail time.

In the United States 2016 election, six million citizens were not allowed to vote due to a felony conviction on their record.

The Ohio Constitution prohibits “idiots” from voting. The constitution states “no idiot, or insane person shall be entitled to the privileges of an elector.”

On August 18, 1920, the United States Congress passed the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed all American women the right to vote.

In Utah, women were granted the right to vote twice. The territorial legislature granted it unanimously in 1870. However, the United States Congress revoked that right in 1887 in an attempt to curtail polygamy.

Approximately 64% of the United States’ voting-age population is registered to vote, compared to 91% in Canada and the United Kingdom, 96% in Sweden, and nearly 99% in Japan.