Democracy is the power of the people to shape their own future, and elections are the voice that brings this power to life. Elections are the foundation of democratic societies, empowering citizens to have a say in their government and leadership.

Through elections, people uphold their right to representation, ensuring that leaders are chosen by the people and for the people. Democracy thrives on active participation, and elections give every citizen a role in building a just and fair society.

2024 is the year of Election. In this year nearly half of Worlds population are gone through elections. And most of the election has finished. And US election is Infront us.

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 elections that might just blow your mind. US Elections in the United States have evolved dramatically since the first vote, with some pretty wild and surprising twists along the way.

So, let’s get right into it with 15 fascinating facts about the history of U.S. elections.

Fact :1

 George Washington won his first election with no competition.

 In 1789, Washington was unanimously elected as the first U.S. president.

And believe it or not, he remains the only president to have received 100% of the Electoral College votes.

But What is Electoral college? In other U.S. elections, candidates are elected directly by popular vote. But the president and vice president are not elected directly by citizens.

 In Each state one elector is elected and this elecor votes on behave of Citizen of the state.This group of Elector called Electoral coolege  

Fact :2

This Electoral College was created as a compromise.

 Back in 1787, the Founding Fathers couldn’t decide if the president should be chosen by Congress or by a direct popular vote, so they came up with the Electoral College.

 It was meant to balance power between big and small states.

Fact :3

 Not all U.S. presidents have won by popular vote. In fact, five presidents, including John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump, won the presidency without the majority of the popular vote.”

Imagine voting for a president and having someone else take the win it’s happened more often than you’d think.

Fact :4

 Voting wasn’t always anonymous.

Until the late 1800s, U.S. voters would openly declare their choices in public. Secret ballots, as we know them today, were introduced to protect voter privacy and reduce voter intimidation.”

Can you imagine announcing your vote to everyone around you? Times have really changed.

Fact :5

The first televised debate in 1960 changed everything.

 When John F. Kennedy debated Richard Nixon on TV, it was the first time Americans could see their candidates in action. Kennedys composed and camera-friendly demeanor won over viewers, showing the power of media in elections.”

Fact :6

Candidates used to bribe voters with alcohol Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, ‘treating’ voters to drinks was a common practice to secure votes. George Washington himself once bought gallons of alcohol for voters when he ran for the Virginia House of Burgesses.

A pint for a vote, anyone?

Imagine If this were legal in Election what candidate would give to voters.

Fact :7

The longest campaign lasted over a year and a half

 In 1976, Jimmy Carter’s campaign spanned more than 18 months. Today, lengthy campaigns are typical, but Carter set the standard.

Fact :8

Election Day wasn’t always on a Tuesday. It was officially set for the first Tuesday in November in 1845 to accommodate farmers, giving them a day to travel after Sunday church and vote before market day on Wednesday.

Alexander Duncan first prosed a uniform day for all elections in 1844.

Fact :9

 The youngest elected president was 43, while the oldest was 78.

John F. Kennedy became president at just 43, and in 2021, Joe Biden took office at 78. It shows just how much the political scene has opened up for all ages.”

Fact :10

Voting rights have come a long way. Initially, only white, landowning men could vote.

 It took many years for voting rights to expand to all races, women, and eventually, 18-year-olds in 1971.”

 “It’s amazing how far voting rights have come to be more inclusive.”

Fact :11

The United States once had more political parties.

In the 1800s, there were parties like the Whigs, Federalists, National Union Party, and even the Anti-Masonic Party. Eventually, the two-party system we see today emerged, but there’s quite a history of political diversity.

Fact :12

Presidential candidates didn’t use to campaign for themselves.

In the early years of the U.S., it was seen as unseemly for candidates to campaign on their own behalf, so they relied on supporters to promote them.

Fact :13:

The first woman to run for president did so in 1872.

Victoria Woodhull, a suffragist and women’s rights advocate, made history, though women wouldn’t get the right to vote until almost 50 years later.

 And Finally In 1920 through 19th Amendment Women of USA got rights to vote.

She was truly ahead of her time.

Fact :14:

There’s a long history of unusual campaign slogans.

Like in 1840, William Henry Harrison used the slogan ‘Tippecanoe and Tyler Too,’ which became a nationwide catchphrase. The famous slogan of Abraham Lincoln “Democracy is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people”

And finally,

Fact :15

The U.S. once elected a president who refused to live in the White House. James Madison’s Vice President, Elbridge Gerry, refused to move in, as he thought it was too extravagant.

Elbridge Gerry was also a member, who has signed declaration of Independence of USA”

Some of these stories really show how different the past was from today.