With the November 6th election just around the corner, you're likely to see electronic ballots widely used at polling locations. While paper ballots are still used, they do not resemble the scratch paper ballots from the past. Below are examples of ballots for the first referendum of the Lecompton Constitution on December 21, 1857. Voters were choosing between the Constitution with slavery or without slavery.
The Constitution with slavery won 6,226 to 569, although the December 21st vote was boycotted by free-state supporters. A second voting occurred on January 4, 1858 with an Anti-Usurpation Ticket. Names listed on this ticket include George W. Smith, William Y. Roberts, Philip C. Schuyler, Andrew J. Mead, Joel K. Goodin, and Marcus J. Parrott. In the example to the left, the voter has indicated Henry H. Williams as his selection for Senator, D. B. Jackman as his selection for Representative, and that he is "against the Constitution." The Lecompton Constitution was rejected by a vote of 10,226 to 138. Other election materials of interest on Kansas Memory include a ballot box swept away by a tornado, voter instructions, and a campaign truck.