1871 West Virginia Constitutional amendment referendum
West Virginia ballot measure
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A referendum was held in West Virginia on April 17, 1871, to add an amendment to the Constitution of West Virginia. Voters were asked whether all adult male citizens of West Virginia should be allowed to vote, though excluding disqualified individuals.
April 17, 1871
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That the male citizens of the State shall be entitled to vote at all elections held within the election districts in which they respectively reside; but no person who is a minor, or unsound of mind, or pauper, or who is under the conviction of treason, felony, or bribery in an election, or who has not been a resident of the State for one year and of the county in which he offers to vote for thirty days next preceding such offer, shall be permitted to vote, while such disability continues. | |||||||||||||||||||
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Background
After the Civil War, former Confederates were barred from voting in West Virginia. The voting rights of African Americans were not ensured either. The two divergent issues were brought together in the Flick Amendment, drafted by William H.H. Flick.[1] Several Liberal Republicans, hoping to offset the growth of the Democratic Party, offered the Flick Amendment to voters. The amendment would ensure the voting rights of African Americans and enfranchise former Confederates.[2]
Although the 15th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which granted African Americans the right to vote, was ratified in 1870, former Confederates still could not vote.[3]
Results[4]
The amendment was ratified with an overwhelming majority of 78.8%. Following the ratification, former Confederates could vote, leading to a Democratic takeover of West Virginia's politics. Democrats elected the next five governors and controlled the state legislature between 1872 and 1896.[5]
McDowell and Logan counties did not record any votes.
| County | For | Against | Ballots
cast | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | ||
| Barbour | 483 | 68.7% | 220 | 31.2% | 703 |
| Berkeley | 975 | 97.2% | 28 | 2.7% | 1,003 |
| Boone | 209 | 92.5% | 17 | 7.5% | 226 |
| Braxton | 524 | 99.4% | 3 | 0.5% | 527 |
| Brooke | 320 | 89.3% | 38 | 10.6% | 358 |
| Cabell | 431 | 97.9% | 9 | 2% | 440 |
| Calhoun | 266 | 96.3% | 10 | 3.6% | 276 |
| Clay | 127 | 97.6% | 3 | 2.3% | 130 |
| Doddridge | 218 | 48.5% | 231 | 51.4% | 449 |
| Fayette | 316 | 94.6% | 18 | 5.3% | 324 |
| Gilmer | 303 | 99.3% | 2 | 0.7% | 305 |
| Grant | 304 | 48.0% | 329 | 52.0% | 633 |
| Greenbrier | 1,044 | 90.6% | 108 | 9.4% | 1,152 |
| Hampshire | 521 | 89.5% | 61 | 10.5% | 582 |
| Hancock | 181 | 70.2% | 77 | 29.8% | 258 |
| Hardy | 58 | 14.7% | 336 | 85.3% | 394 |
| Harrison | 485 | 38.0% | 790 | 62.0% | 1,275 |
| Jackson | 570 | 79.8% | 144 | 20.2% | 714 |
| Jefferson | 438 | 67.1% | 215 | 32.9% | 653 |
| Kanawha | 1,164 | 98.0% | 24 | 2.0% | 1,188 |
| Lewis | 913 | 92.0% | 79 | 8.0% | 992 |
| Lincoln | 559 | 97.4% | 15 | 2.6% | 574 |
| Logan | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 |
| Marion | 1,114 | 86.3% | 177 | 13.7% | 1,291 |
| Marshall | 385 | 39.6% | 587 | 60.4% | 972 |
| Mason | 702 | 71.4% | 281 | 28.6% | 983 |
| McDowell | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 |
| Mercer | 313 | 99.1% | 3 | 0.9% | 316 |
| Mineral | 248 | 87.6% | 35 | 12.4% | 283 |
| Monongalia | 756 | 80.3% | 186 | 19.7% | 942 |
| Monroe | 618 | 99.8% | 1 | 0.2% | 619 |
| Morgan | 189 | 71.3% | 76 | 28.7% | 265 |
| Nicholas | 362 | 93.3% | 26 | 6.7% | 388 |
| Ohio | 434 | 54.1% | 368 | 45.9% | 802 |
| Pendleton | 324 | 66.8% | 161 | 33.2% | 485 |
| Pleasants | 211 | 74.3% | 73 | 25.7% | 284 |
| Pocahontas | 349 | 86.0% | 57 | 14.0% | 406 |
| Preston | 863 | 86.2% | 138 | 13.8% | 1,001 |
| Putnam | 380 | 88.8% | 48 | 11.2% | 428 |
| Raleigh | 166 | 73.8% | 59 | 26.2% | 225 |
| Randolph | 380 | 92.7% | 30 | 7.3% | 410 |
| Ritchie | 626 | 86.5% | 98 | 13.5% | 724 |
| Roane | 505 | 93.9% | 33 | 6.1% | 538 |
| Summers | 255 | 96.2% | 10 | 3.8% | 265 |
| Taylor | 364 | 51.1% | 349 | 48.9% | 713 |
| Tucker | 133 | 93.7% | 9 | 6.3% | 142 |
| Tyler | 330 | 67.3% | 160 | 32.7% | 490 |
| Upshur | 327 | 50.7% | 318 | 49.3% | 645 |
| Wayne | 608 | 99.8% | 1 | 0.2% | 609 |
| Webster | 124 | 100.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 124 |
| Wetzel | 386 | 80.4% | 94 | 19.6% | 480 |
| Wirt | 381 | 96.7% | 13 | 3.3% | 394 |
| Wood | 1,494 | 89.9% | 167 | 10.1% | 1,661 |
| Wyoming | 110 | 93.2% | 8 | 6.8% | 118 |
| Totals | 23,546 | 78.8% | 6,323 | 21.1% | 29,869 |