In 1916 there was significant dissatisfaction with the mayor and other elected officials.
The voting system was one in which there was no declared slate of candidates. Each voter would just write in his/her choice for each position.
Oregon women had just been granted the right to vote. When the town's women's club met shortly before election day the women present decided, quietly and with no publicity, who they would vote for, for each position.
When the votes were counted, it was determined that women had won virtually all the positions and were now in control of the town's government. The prior mayor's wife was elected mayor, beating her husband by a vote of 25 to 8. Apparently they ran a very efficient government for the next four years, introducing lots of town improvements on a very low budget.
The election results supposedly drew national attention at the time.
Sent from my iPhone
Walt Wright
917 783 6540
Walterwright@brooklynny.us
2 comments:
Walt,
Enjoying your blogs. Sorry I haven't contributed much but did want you to know that I for one am following your journey with keen interest.
Dick
Well done, Oregon women. They should have taken history to heart with the last vote! If you read the history of Oregon's pioneer women it is quite impressive. My sister Tracey loaned me a book that she got when she first moved to Oregon that really impressed me. Tracey, if you are reading this and you recall the name, maybe you will pass it along.
Leslie
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