During the election of 1864, the votes of Union soldiers played a key role in Abraham Lincoln’s re-election. Many soldiers were fighting far from home, and this raised an important question. Should men risking their lives for the country be allowed to vote while away?
To solve this problem, states created new voting rules. For the first time, absentee voting was used on a large scale in a presidential election. Soldiers were allowed to vote from military camps or send their ballots home by mail. In states that did not allow absentee voting, some soldiers were given time off to return home and vote. These changes were new, and they caused confusion, arguments, and court cases. Some people also feared cheating, but many believed soldiers deserved a voice.
The soldier vote mattered because soldiers understood the war better than most civilians. They saw the fighting, the losses, and the recent victories. Because of this, many soldiers supported continuing the war instead of ending it through negotiation. Even though George McClellan had once been their general, many soldiers believed Lincoln’s leadership would lead to victory and national unity.
When the votes were counted, Lincoln won a large majority of the military vote. He also won 55 percent of the popular vote and most of the electoral votes. In close states like New York, soldier ballots helped secure his win. The soldier vote helped Lincoln stay in office, and it changed how Americans vote during wartime for years to come.