Today in Herstory: New York Women Win the Vote!

[niyad]

Today in Herstory: New York Women Win the Vote!




November 6, 1917: Victory!

The biggest prize of all, New York, is now an equal suffrage State, and tonight the campaign’s leaders are already enthusiastically planning how to use their new power to push for winning woman suffrage nationwide through the Susan B. Anthony Amendment.
Things began to go well right from the start, when suffrage workers took up their assigned posts as poll-watchers inside every voting location in New York City, while others stood 100 feet from the polls, giving out sample ballots and answering questions. Still more volunteers knocked on doors to be sure that all those who had said they were pro-suffrage would vote today, with rides available if needed. As the day progressed, reports came in that a number of local politicians who had been strong opponents of suffrage in the 1915 referendum were saying that they voted for it this time, or had at least dropped their opposition, so optimism grew.

The offices of the suffrage organizations were beehives of activity all day, as leaders took in every tidbit of information – and rumor – trying to get some idea of how things were going, and making sure that any problems that came up at polling places were quickly fixed. But finally the last vote was cast, and for the first time since a similar election night two years and four days ago, there was nothing for anyone to do but wait.

Fortunately, the suspense didn’t last long. Though in the old days it was necessary to wait for an election “extra” to hit the streets, citizens in these modern times get the results much faster. For instance, in many of the vaudeville houses, theaters and restaurants, stereopticons projected slides with the latest results written on them onto walls, so patrons could read them.

Ironically, it was a vehemently anti-suffrage newspaper which broke the news that delighted suffrage forces. The New York Times uses a searchlight, plus similar lights of different colors, with each color symbolizing a particular contest, to give updates to the huge crowds that gather on election nights. When the big white searchlight was pointed West then moved up and down it meant they had projected that suffrage would win. Immediately, a woman began making her way through the crowd, and when she got to suffrage headquarters, exclaimed: “The New York Times signals that suffrage has won!”

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http://feminist.org/blog/index.php/2014/11/06/today-in-herstory-new-york-women-win-the-vote/