The following is an extract from our short explainer “Things You Might Not Know About Elections.” You can find the entire explainer here: https://cffad.org/things-you-might-not-know-about-elections/
The mechanics of voting: Elections can take many forms depending upon circumstances and needs. For example, in The Gambia, as recently as 2021, where illiteracy was a huge societal problem, voters placed marbles in large, differently colored cans labeled with pictures of their candidate.
As political parties grew in the United States, partisans began handing out pre-printed ballots known as “straight tickets.” You could depart from the party line only by crossing out a name and writing in someone else’s name. This method is still used in Sweden and other countries.
The idea to create ballots requiring voters to make a mark within the square opposite the name of their preferred candidate(s) did not occur until 1858 in South Australia. Grover Cleveland was elected president in 1892 using the new Australian ballots.
Mechanical voting machines were first used in Lockport, NY, in 1892. By 1930, they were the standard in every major US city. Voting devices using punched cards were pioneered in 1964. The first electronic voting machine, the Video Voter, was used in Illinois elections in 1975. Electronic voting devices have greatly enhanced the ability of voters with a disability to vote privately and independently.
In recent years, the U.S. has moved towards hand-marked paper ballots that are optically scanned for counting.
A history of U.S. voting mechanisms can be found here: https://votingmachines.procon.org/history-of-voting-machines/
If you want to learn more about elections, we have a 9-part course, each part is a 20 minute read. Easy! Click here: https://cffad.org/things-you-might-not-know-about-elections/
