[EL] quibble about something said by Ned Foley on 1860 election

[Richard Winger]

Thanks to Rick Hasen for making it possible for me to have listened to the 49 minute conversation on presidential election rules between Ned Foley and Franita Tolson.  I just wish Ned had not said, "Lincoln's not even on the ballot in the deep south" in 1860.  There were no government-printed ballots in 1860.  Every voter was free to make his own ballot.
There were no recorded votes for Lincoln in most southern states, not because he was barred from some imaginary government ballot.  The reason is that no one in most southern states wanted to organize any slates of Lincoln electors and no one wanted to print up such Lincoln ballots and distribute them, because voting wasn't secret back then.  People who might have wanted to support Lincoln were intimidated from organizing any elector slates.

Richard Winger 415-922-9779 PO Box 470296, San Francisco Ca 94147
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