48. Democratic Ballots

This stack of paper ballots survived from the Montgomery County Democratic Primary of May 6, 1940. There is no record of how the Society acquired these nor why this particular group of 200-odd ballots are wired together in a two-inch stack. The ballots – 5 x 3 in. folded – contain the election particulars and the printed signature of Donald Bowie, Jr., “President of the Board of Supervisors of Elections for Montgomery County.” Each was also initialed by the polling judge, in this case an unidentified “M.R.L.”

The only option on the ballot was among three candidates for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate. The Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives seat from Montgomery County ran unopposed, which may explain why only the Senate race appears on the ballot. The incumbent, George L. Radcliffe (1877-1974) of Baltimore City, was running against Howard Bruce of Howard County (1879-1961), a Baltimore banker and industrialist. Vincent F. Gierttoski, also of Baltimore City, was a barely mentioned third candidate.

The Washington Post ended a May 6 article about the “lackadaisical” campaign with this tidbit:

“A comical note was struck in Rockville, seat of Montgomery County. When Bruce headquarters put up a large banner reading ‘Democratic Headquarters,’ the Radcliffe followers next door posted a sign reading ‘Democratic Headquarters – Main Entrance.’” Although Montgomery County Democrats gave Bruce a narrow margin, Radcliffe won the statewide nomination and defeated former Governor Harry W. Nice to serve a second term in the Senate. Both Radcliffe and Bruce would be delegates to the 1940 Democratic National Convention.

Interestingly, the 1940 election may have been the last time Montgomery County voters used such simple paper ballots. A photo series by Marjory Collins of the Office of War Information (at the Library of Congress) shows Olney voters in the 1942 general election learning how to use automatic voting machines.

Next Artifact

Previous Artifact