Representatives from the Piatt Castle Mac-A-Cheek announced this week the results of a mock election of 1920 that was offered for visitors to the castle starting Aug. 26 as a way to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the U.S. women’s right to vote.
During the 30-day period when the historic house museum was open, 689 people cast ballots in an antique ballot box on loan from the West Liberty Historical Society.
As in the actual 1920 election, the majority voted for the Republican candidate, Warren G. Harding. The runner-up was Socialist Eugene Debs, and third in place was Democrat James Cox. Both Harding and Cox were from Ohio.
Although the voting age in Ohio in 1920 was 21 years old, children visiting Mac-A-Cheek were welcome to vote as well. They also selected Harding as their first choice, with Cox and then Debs close behind.
Both adults and children cast some votes for the four remaining candidates on the ticket. Their names and parties were selected in this order: James Ferguson (American), William W. Cox (Socialist Labor), Parley Christiansen (Farmer Labor), and Aaron S. Watkins (Prohibition).
As in many elections, some ballots were marked invalid because the voters failed to follow directions or wrote in names of people not alive in 1920.