10/16/2026
This 1857 political cartoon from Harper’s Weekly, “At the Polls,” depicts a raucous election day. At the time, election days in the US were known for being unruly and sometimes violent.
Candidates gave stump speeches, bands played outside polling places, party organizations served food and often alcohol, and the spectacle frequently ended with bonfires and gunfire at night.
Many arguments against women’s suffrage nationally in this era centered on the seeming impropriety of women entering a space characterized by such unladylike behavior. In Utah’s first general election held with women’s suffrage, on August 1, 1870, some polling places provided a separate entrance for female voters, but this practice did not continue.
More information: https://utahhumanities.org/programs/community-heritage/museum-on-main-street/voices-votes-democracy-in-america
America250 Smithsonian Museum on Main Street Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service Museum of Uintah County