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Wooden Ballot/Voting Box
Identifier:
1987.8.6Description:
A wooden ballot or voting box, in this instance, used by the Grand Rapids Typographical Union No. 39. (That name designation is painted in gold pigment on the box). The box likely originally came supplied with a collection of white and black balls made of composite material. Usually, there was only one or two black balls in the collection. This box was probably used by union members to vote to accept or not to accept a potential new member. A vote cast with a black marble meant that the nominee was "blackballed" and therefore not accepted as a new member. Presumably, the box could also be used to vote either "yes" or "no" on a prososal brought before the membership.The voting process involved placing all of the balls in the first drawer, or in this case, the oval cavity cut into the box. The voter would then reach into the box and select in secrecy either a white or black ball. The voter would then slip the ball through the interior hole inside the box allowing it to fall into the confines of the closed drawer at the opposite end. When the voting was over, the balls or "ballots" would be counted. The word ballot comes from the Italian ballotta, meaning a “small ball used in voting” or a “secret vote taken by ballots”
In order to protect the integrity of the voting process, a person called a"scrutineer" would be appointed to observe the voting process and the counting of the votes.;The Grand Rapids Typographical Union No. 39 emerged from the issuance of the North American Typographical Union charter on April 19, 1858. The earliest constitution book of the Union, bearing the imprint, "Printing House of I.S. Dygert, 1844," has a cut of the Union seal bearing this date. On May 2, 1859, the first official meeting under the charter was held in the composing rooms of the Daily Eagle in the Withey Block on Canal Street, now lower Monroe Avenue. After early records were lost, a new charter was issued by the International in 1873
Date:
1890 – 1900Materials:
Wood, wooden veneerDimensions:
6 1/2"" h 11"" wCurrent Location Status:
In StorageCollection Tier:
Tier 2Source:
Gift Of Grand Rapids Public LibraryLinks:
http://grplpedia.grpl.org/wiki/images/0/04/029.pdfExhibit/Program:
Voting! Making it Count (October 1 – November 13 2016)Vote! Making it Count explores the ways voting has changed throughout American history. The voting process has evolved in response to social, cultural and technological developments. One of the most important political rights U.S. citizens have is the right to vote, and it is crucial to the health of democracy.
Related Entities:
Grand Rapids Public Library (donor)Alternate names: GRPL James A. Straub (identified by)
Alternate names: Jim Straub
James A. Straub was a Collections department volunteer and Collection Committee Member at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, offering his services as an art historian. Among his many life accomplishments were his family, and serving in the United States Marine Corps, including a 13-month tour of duty in Vietnam. His list of achievements include 27 years as Detective Lieutenant from the Kent County Sheriff's Department, Original Catalogue Director of the Mathias Alten Catalogue Raisonne, and providing significant contributions to the book, Mathias Alten: Journey of an American Painter.
Jim was honored to have been appointed by Gov. Milliken to the Board of Forensic Polygraph Examiners and by the GR mayor to the GR Historical Commission. Additionally, Jim served as President of the Command Officers Bargaining Unit at the Kent County Sheriff's Department and Vice President of the GR Historical Society. Along with his dedicated service to GRPM Jim was also a member of the Board of Kent County Employees Credit Union, the Kent County Pension Board, the Art Advisory Committee for Butterworth Hospital, the Acquisitions Committee at the Grand Rapids Art Museum and the GVSU Gordon Gallery Advisory Committee.
