One of the treasures in Special Collections and Archives is the 1860 Lincoln ballot, or ticket. These ballots are extremely rare; a similar but not identical Virginia ballot exists in the West Virginia State Archives while most other known Lincoln ballots are from northern states. Virginia was the only state in the south that included Abraham Lincoln on the Republican ticket for President in 1860. He received just one percent of the Virginia vote.
Ballots were tallied and not permanently retained. These ballots were printed, most often by newspaper printing offices, and given to voters to be turned in at their polling places. The electors names appear on the ballot, as the vote is actually cast for the electors, who then vote directly for the Presidential candidates.
Learn more about our Special Collections & Archives at http://www.rmc.edu/library/sc.