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GI Voting in WWII photograph collection, 1944
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- GI Voting in WWII photograph collection
- Dates
- 1944 (inclusive)19441944
- Quantity
- 5 photographic prints (1 folder) ; 8 x 10 in.
- Collection Number
- PH1045
- Summary
- This collection contains five photographs of GI's voting during World War II
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries’ Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
- Additional Reference Guides
- Languages
- English
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
In WWII, the right of service men and government personnel serving outside of their home states to vote came into question. State-operated absentee-voting systems were inadequate because they did not reach every service member in every regiment around the world. State ballots were sometimes bulky and took up precious space in the cargo hold of a supplies plane or truck. They often did not reach the voters or home offices in time for the vote to count.
The 1943 Green-Luca bill was a proposed amendment to the laws already in place. It called for the establishment of a Federal War Ballot Commission. This commission would create and distribute federal ballots to those serving overseas. These ballots would only have the Presidential, Vice Presidential, and Congressional candidates, making them thinner and easier to transport. They would be sent as early as possible to ensure timely return. This bill was not adopted as it was presented. The heads of the Army and Navy departments thought it was a great idea, but many felt it took away rights that belonged to the states.
Therefore, in 1944, each state had to prove they had sufficient absentee-voting practices in place and ratify the revised bill by July of that year. In order for a service member to vote, he or she had to apply for a state ballot by September 1, 1944, and meet the voting requirements of his or her state. This made it possible for some states to maintain their practice of testing those who registered to vote. It was a big issue for the presidential election because there were those who wanted to ensure Franklin D. Roosevelt did not win for a fourth time. However, the votes of the service members did little to sway the outcome of the election.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection consists of photographs of military service men and women voting during World War II.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
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Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Folder | item | ||
1 | 1 | Soldier voting with a fountain pen on the top of a generator | circa 1944 |
1 | 2 | Soldier and two young women reading an information broadsheet, on voting, laid out on the hood of a jeep | circa 1944 |
1 | 3 | Medic studying the voting information | 1944 |
1 | 4 | Soldier sealing the envelope containg his ballot | 1944 |
1 | 5 | Soldier filling in his ballot on the hood of the official division photographer's jeep | 1944 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)