The integrity of mail-in ballots has recently come under scrutiny, but ballot fraud is not a new phenomenon in the United States. One hundred and sixty years ago, during the presidential election of 1864, absentee ballots were introduced for the first time to allow Union soldiers in the field to vote. Despite some soldiers being granted furlough to return home to vote, mail-in ballots were still necessary. Democrats opposed the effort, suspecting that most Union soldiers would vote for Lincoln.
One county official, Orville Wood, uncovered a major electoral conspiracy during this time. He discovered that ballots were being manipulated, with soldiers “checker playing” with them. Wood pretended to support McClellan, gaining access to the scheme and altering thousands of ballots to favor him. After exposing the operation to authorities, General Abner Doubleday convened a military commission to address the fraud.
Various irregular forces also engaged in election fraud during the 1864 election. Confederate groups attempted to disrupt the election by capturing ballot boxes, while Union scouts posed as Confederates to gain information and influence voting. Ultimately, Lincoln received the majority of votes from Union soldiers, ensuring the continuation of the war.
