History: Elections in Wyoming Over the Years

With it being the mid-terms election, in this story we will look at some elections through the years.

It was 1845 that Congress passed the law designating the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November as Election Day. Before that time, states could hold elections any time they pleased, as long as they were held within 34 days before the first Wednesday in December.

Tuesday was selected as the most convenient day for elections because of the rural, farming culture in 19th-century America. Most citizens worked as farmers, and lived a long ways from the polling places. Sunday was for church, and Wednesday was market day, therefor Tuesday was the best day. November was after the harvest, and usually before the more severe winter weather set in.

And at one time in Sheridan, it was a legal holiday. From the Sheridan Daily Enterprise, November 2, 1909

Today, in Sheridan County, there are polling places in Sheridan, Story, Ranchester, Dayton, Clearmont, Arvada, Beckton, Big Horn, Wyarno, Prairie Dog and Dayton.

In 1892, the Northern Wyoming Stinger, in September of 1892 posted this: The primary meeting of the various precincts for the election of delegates to the convention will be held Tuesday, Oct. 4, 1892.

The following precincts will be entitled to representation are as follows: Pass, (Not sure if this is Passaic) 8 delegates; Dayton, 5; Ohlman, 2; Tongue River, 1; Bingham, 1; Beckton, 2; Big Horn, 5; Sheridan City; Sheridan, 5; Lower Prairie Dog, 2; Banner 3; Big Red, 1; Huson, 3; Big Corrals, 1; Suggs, 1; Bald Mountain, 2.

Many of these towns are now gone, and new ones came into being.

As today, sometimes people vote for candidates as much as for their personalities as for their policies.

Sheridan Enterprise November 10, 1914. Governor Elect Kendrick – (Wyoming Tribune.) The people of Wyoming, by their votes, have chosen Hon. John B Kendrick of Sheridan as governor. Mr. Kendrick is one of the best known citizens of this state. He first came into political prominence in 1910, when he was elected state senator and received his party vote for United States senator Two years later he was again a candidate for United States senator and was defeated by Hon F.E. Warren. (Warren was the first Governor of Wyoming, having first been territorial governor, appointed in 1885, until 1890 when Wyoming achieved statehood. Warren resigned as Governor when elected to the US Senate. Kendrick won the election in 1916) That campaign gave him a state wide acquaintance and made him the logical candidate for Governor on the democratic ticket. Mr Kendrick is a man of large business affairs, being engaged extensively in cattle raising and he is the owner of valuable real estate in Sheridan. He is a man ofattractive personality and excellent business ability. He will no doubt make an able governor and to that end has the best wishes of the Wyoming Tribune

Certainly Have Confidence (Laramie Republican) If one is to judge by the estimate placed upon Mr. John B. Kendrick by those who live in the northern portion of the state, it must be admitted that he measures well for his position to which he has been elected. His majority in his home county was tremendous. He has been a resident of the state for a great many years, has been exceeding successful in his business and has a reputation of being a man with backbone, and backbone is the best thing that one can have in the executive offices of this state. The people of Wyoming will wish Mr. Kendrick success in his efforts to give them good government and a square deal. He has promised them these two things.

Powell Tribune. The majority of something over two thousand for Kendrick in his home county of Sheridan, and the failure of Mr. Ridgley to carry his home county, or even his home town, is not to be accepted as absolute proof as to the relative character of the two men, but gives the supports or Mr. Kendrick here and elsewhere special delight that they did not heed to the personal mudslinging attacks of his opponent and vote accordingly.

The campaign tactics of Mr. Ridgely and a number of his supporters were inexpedient, to say the least. The personal slanders campaign will not be worked again in Wyoming with any degree of success.

As mentioned in the above article, mudslinging is nothing new in politics. One of the first examples was during a U.S. presidential election in 1796 when Alexander Hamilton accused Thomas Jefferson of sleeping with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings. And in 1828, considered to be one of the dirtiest political campaigns in U.S. history, incumbent President John Quincy Adams’ supporters called Andrew Jackson’s mother a prostitute and his wife, Rachel, a whore.

It happened in Wyoming elections as well.

This from the Sheridan Enterprise Monday, October 1914. John B. Kendrick – (Lander Eagle) John B. Kendrick, Democrat-Progressive candidate for governor of Wyoming, according to the Republican newspapers, must be a hard sort of nut. There is nothing wicked that Kendrick has not taken a chance at — except being a lawyer. Like the editor of the Lander Eagle, he is past all hope. He is even worse than the Eagle man, who still has a longing to go to heaven when he passes up. No heaven for Kendrick, if the Republican newspapers can keep him out they are ‘double-crossing” him with St. Peter, and are placing barbwire entanglements before the pearly gates to trip him up.

It is hard to believe that one lone man can be so utterly bad as Kendrick, at a pinch, two men might be able to wade half way through the evil deeds attributed to him and come out alive, but for a single individual to be so scandalously, fiendishly and outrageously wicked as he is surpasses all belief. According to the Republican newspapers, he is more than the limit. At the same time the people of Wyoming are going to elect Kendrick (with all his sins) governor by the largest majority ever given a candidate for that office.

Office Seeking Man Vs Man Seeking The Office (Wheatland Times)Republican papers have long howled about Kendrick’s “barrell’ and charged him with trying to buy his way into political position are now yelping because J. B. did not find it necessary to spend any money to secure the primary nomination, while his Republican opponent, Mr. Ridgely, spent over five hundred dollars (Approximately $15,000 in today’s dollars)as primary election expense. The stand patters can’t understand it. The explanation is easy. In one instance it was a case of the office seeking the man and in the other it was the man desperately seeking the office. Friends of Mr. Kendrick, appreciating his splendid character and executive ability and earnestly desiring that be be nominated for governor, even against his personal wishes, took it upon themselves to circulate petitions for his nomination entirely without his request and in many instances without his knowledge. It was only after these petitions had been circulated and signed by thousands of citizens that Mr. Kendrick consented to become a candidate. He did not seek the nomination; he did not ask for it nor make any efforts to secure it. It was a gratuitous offer and compliment to a worthy men. It cost him nothing. On the other hand, all the overwhelming desire that Ridgely be a candidate was confined to the ambitious bosom of Mr. Ridgely. For many years he has longed for the nomination for governor.

Kendrick was a democrat, and served as Wyoming’s Governor from 1915 until he resigned in 1917, at which time he was elected to the United States Senate. Kendrick served as senator from March, 1917, until his death in 1933.

Accusations of cheating are not new either

The Lingle Herald, April 21, 1911

And, of course, the political ads appeared in area newspapers. Today, television is the avenue of choice for political ads, but in the early 20th century the newspapers, radios, rallies and ‘whistle stop’ train tours were the only way for candidates to get their messages to the public.

The Weekly Boomerang, October 17, 1912

The Casper Herald, November 6, 1922 

It is hard to imagine with the instantaneous news we have today with television and internet, how slow communication was in the early part of our country.

In November of 1860, the Pony Express carried news of President Lincoln’s election from Fort Kearny, Nebraska 1,300 miles to Fort Churchill, Nevada, in six and a half days. The Election Pony carried a brief summary of election results from the East.

The 1920 election was the first to be broadcast over radio, and radio listeners knew the election result, (Republican Warren G. Harding won in a landslide) before they appeared in the next morning’s papers.

During the 2020 election, there were concerns about the security of voting machines used in many precincts. It is interesting to note that voting machines are not a new development.

From the Iron Gazette Hartville Laramie County, Wyoming, Friday, November 1899

Voting Machine. Daring the recent elections voting machines were used for the first time in New York. They proved successful in every respect. They reduced the number of precincts, did away with the expense of printing ballots, were operated easily and perfectly. The count of the vote was automatic. the election poll workers having nothing to do when the polls closed but to unlock the machines and set down the totals. Within forty-five minutes after the polls closed tho result of the vote for tho head of the ticket was known. Every precinct, even the most remote, had reported to headquarters, and the tabulations had been made. At Ithaca, which is small city, and where probably unusual efforts at celerity had been made, the result of the city vote was known seven minutes after the polls closed. Similar results were accomplished in many other cities in New York where the voting machines were used.

So, whoever you vote for, voting is a one of the most important rights that we, as American citizens have today. We have the responsibility to participate in our government by voting in elections. All citizens over the age of 18 cannot be denied the right to vote on the basis of race, religion, sex, disability, or sexual orientation. So, on Tuesday, November 8, cast your vote for whoever you feel will do the best job for Wyoming.